


The Sole Survivor

by WLDYellowJKT



Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Action/Adventure, Comedy, F/M, Gen, Horror, Mild Gore, Mild Language, Multi, My First Fanfic, Mystery, Other, POV Female Character, Romance, Sad, Spoilers, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-12
Updated: 2017-09-29
Packaged: 2018-09-23 18:17:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 19
Words: 36,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9670409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WLDYellowJKT/pseuds/WLDYellowJKT
Summary: Nora just woke up from a 200 year nap. Her husband is dead. Her son is missing. The search begins.





	1. The Beginning of the End

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first FanFic I've decided to post... It's my first draft, bare with me.

Nate looked into the mirror with a slightly disgusted look. "War. War never changes." 

"You're gonna knock 'em dead at the Veteran's Hall tonight, hon." Nora came up from behind her husband and wrapped her arms across his chest, looking into the mirror. "Now stop hogging the mirror and get ready." she let go of him as he applied his shaving cream and began shaving. Nora started brushing her teeth.

"You still love this ugly mug after all these years?" Nate chuckled, examining all his scars on the right side of his face. He stared into his brown eyes and ran his fingers through his combed back hair. He wiped his face clean with a rag and examined his lower face.

Nora choked on the toothpaste in her mouth, spitting it all over the sink. "You really think I'd stop loving you for a few scars?" she swished water in her mouth and spit into the sink. Nora looked into her blue eyes and brushed a bit of short blonde hair out of the middle of her forehead. She swished water in her mouth and started applying mascara. She ran a line of lip balm over her thin lips.

"Well, I don't know. Maybe some of those guys in the tatto magazines got your attention." Nate smirked and waited for a response.

Nora slowly looked at him in the mirror, "Really?" she saw Nate stick his tongue out and chuckle. She did the same.

Nora left the bathroom and listened to Codsworth-their new Nr. Handy-tell her how hot the coffee was. "Thanks Codsworth." She chuckled and took her coffee to the couch. Nate joined her after looking at the newspaper. Their son, Shaun started to cry in the back room.

"Ah, it sounds like someone made a stinky! I shall attend to young Shaun, mum." Codsworth said in his programmed British tone. Nora looked back to the room and smiled slightly at Codsworth.

Nate chuckled, "I know we were nervous about getting Codsworth at first, but I'm glad we did." He stretched his arm out to lightly massage Nora's neck. "Do I look nervous? I look nervous, don't I?" She smiled and closed her eyes.

There was a knock at the door. Nate groaned, "Ugh, it's that salesman again. I don't know why he won't leave you alone." Nora sighed and walked to the door, opening it to see a smaller man in the doorway. He had red hair and wore a tan suit and fedora. He had a clipboard in his hand. 

"Good Morning! Vault-Tec calling!" he said, stepping into the doorway. 

"Good morning." Nora said, trying not to sound annoyed. 

The Vault-Tec representative chuckled, "Isn't it? Just look at that blue sky out there." he turned to look at the sky, then turned back to Nora and cleared his throat. "You can't begin to know how happy I am to finally speak with you. I've been trying for days. It's a matter of utmost urgency, I assure you." he moved his clipboard around to seemingly emphasize his words.

Nora raised an eyebrow to him, "What's so important?" she placed a hand or her hip and tilted her head to the right.

"Why nothing less than your entire future! If you haven't noticed, ma'am, this country has gone to heck in a hand basket." He pushes his clipboard downward when he said "heck" to emphasize the word. He put his hand out to excuse himself, "If you'll excuse my language. The Big kaboom is... it's inevitable, I'm afraid. And coming sooner than you may think. If you catch my meaning." he pulled his clipboard close to his chest.

Nora kept a straight face, getting bored. She took her hand off her hip and looked at the Rep straightly.

The Rep saw she was getting impatient, "No I know you're a busy woman, so I won't take up much of your time. Time being a, um, precious commodity..." he waved his hand. "I'm here today to tell you that because of your family's service to our country, you have been pre-selected for entrance into the local Vault." he put his hands above him and spread them, to add a fantastical look to his words, "Vault 111."

Nora frowned, "But I have a family. you can fit us all in, right?" Nora raised an eyebrow again.

"Of course. Or course! Minus your robot, naturally. In fact, you're already cleared for entrance. It's just a matter of verifying some information." He looked down to his clipboard, "Don't want there to be any hold ups, in the unforeseen event of..." the Rep cleared his throat and looked back at Nora, "...total atomic annihilation." he smiled slightly, "Won't take but a moment."

Nora thought for only a second, "Sure, let's do it." she shrugged and waited for a response.

"Splendid, splendid! Now let's see..." He looked down at his clipboard, "Your name is Nora, you have a husband and son?"

Nora nodded, "Yes."

The Rep nodded, "It was your husband, Nate, that served in the army, correct?" he looked to Nora.

"Yes."

"Good, good. You are a lawyer, correct?" 

"Another yes." she chuckled.

The Rep looked down at his clipboard, "Wonderful! That's... everything... Just going to walk this over to the Vault." he backed out of the doorway and lifted the clipboard, "Congratulations on being prepared for the future!" he backed up more and walked away. 

"Um... Thanks again..." Nora said as she closed the door and walked over to Nate as he spoke to her.

"Hey, it's peace of mind. That's worth a little paperwork, right?" Nate turned to Nora as she came to sit down on the couch next to him.

"For you and Shaun, no price is too high." Nora said, sitting next to Nate and looking to him.

Nate chuckled, "Good answer." he patted her thigh.

Nora placed her hand on top of his, "I have my moments." she smiled. She turned as Shaun continued crying and Codsworth got her attention.

"Mum?" Codsworth came out of the room and hovered next to the couch, "Shaun has been changed, but he absolutely refuses to calm down. I think he needs some of that 'maternal affection' you seem to be so good at."

Nate looked to Nora and chuckled, "Go ahead honey, I'll be in there in a second to help, okay?"

Nora stood up and thanked Codsworth and headed in to see her son. She tickled him a bit, making him giggle.

"How's my boy? Not giving his mother any trouble, is he?" Nate appeared in the doorway, resting his arm left on the frame and crossing his legs. He placed his right hand on his hip, "Hey I just fixed that mobile on his crib the other day. Why don't you give it a spin?" 

Nora turned to the crib and looked at the hanging rockets on his mobile, before spinning it. Shaun giggled more. 

Nate chuckled, "That's my boy. On his best behavior, just like his dad." he made a funny face and touched Shaun's nose, "Well, most of the time anyway..." Nate looked to Nora, "Listen, after breakfast, I was thinking we could go to the park for a bit. Weather should hold up."

"Sure, sounds like fun." Nora kissed her husband on the cheek.

"Sir? Mum? You should come see this!" Codsworth yelled from the living room. 

"Codsworth? What is it?" Nate turned to the doorway and grabbed Shaun as Nora rushed out to see what was the matter.

The television was turned up to max volume and the reporter fumbled for words. "Followed by... yes, followed by flashes. Blinding flashes. Sounds of explosions... We're... we're trying to get conformation..."

Nate met up with Nora in the living room and he hushed Shaun from fussing.

"But we seem to have lost contact with our affiliate stations..." the television continued. "We do have... coming in... confirmed reports. I repeat, confirmed reports of nuclear detonations in New York and Pennsylvania." the reporter covered his face, "My God." the television went to a standby mode.

"Oh my God..." Nate said, looking to Nora.

"We need to get to the Vault NOW!" Nora yelled, turning Nate around.

"I've got Shaun. Let's go!" Nate faced Nora, backing up quickly before turning and running out the door. Nora fought to keep up.

They passed an officer in a Vault-Tec suit and leather protective pads, directing all Vault participants to the Vault. "Hold on, little guy. Hold on..." Nate said, trying not to jostle Shaun around too much. He fell behind to hold him steadier. 

Nate and Nora stopped at the crowd that had gathered and saw the Vault-Tec Representative arguing with an officer.

"That's absurd! I AM Vault-Tec!" The Rep waved his arms around and tried to shove past the Officer.

"Not on the list! You don't get in!" the Officer said, snapping his fingers, causing a soldier in Power-Armour to cause his Mini-gun to start spinning. Nora and Nate's neighbor's cried and talked in quick frantic tones as Nora shoved past them all to get up behind the Rep.

"Whoa whoa!" the Rep threw his hands up and started backing away, before turning and running, "I'm reporting this!".

The soldier in the Power-Armor lifted his Mini-gun, "If you're in the program, step forward. Otherwise, RETURN HOME!"

Nora walked right up to the man in the fatigues, "We need to get in! We're on the list."

The Officer checked his clipboard, "Infant... Adult male... Adult female... Okay, go ahead." He gestured into the gate and stepped aside. 

"Thank you!" Nate and Nora said simultaneously. 

"Good luck, sir, and God help us all..." The Officer said to Nate as he ran in after Nora who was following a Vault-Tec Security Officer.

"Step on the platform! In the center!" The Security Officer directed them.

They both climbed onto the gear shaped platform filled with their neighbors. Nora heard the Officer over the panicky breaths and sobs, directing the elevator to go down.

"Almost there. Is Shaun okay?" Nora asked Nate in a shaky tone, touching Shaun's head.

"He's fine. We're gonna be okay. I love you." Nate said, touching the side of Nora's face. Nora grabbed his Hand and everything went white. 

Nora, Nate and everyone on the platform ducked and screamed, seeing a mushroom cloud rise to their right. The trees in the distance to bent and burned, sending clouds of ash and dust as the shock wave was sent out.

"NOW! SEND IT DOWN NOW!" The Officer yelled as the shock wave got closer and the sky turned an evil red.

"HOLD ON!" Nora yelled and wrapped her arm around Nate, shielding Shaun from the Dust and shock wave that just barely missed them.

Darkness and dust engulfed the elevator sending all the people on the platform sputtering and coughing. The darkness passed in a short time, giving way to the bright lights of Vault 111.

"No need to worry, folks! We'll get everyone situated n your new home. Vault 111! A better future, underground!" The Overseer of the Vault welcomed them all too joyously. 

"I can't believe it... if we had left a minute later... We'd all be.." Nate and Nora's neighbor started, but was cut off by the Overseer.

"No no! Don't get caught up thinking about all that. You're safe now." He smiled to each of us and marked us on his list, "Everyone just head up these stairs, and through the door there."

Nora followed her neighbor, Mr. Russell, up the stairs where a computer welcomed them to the Vault. Nora turned back to make sure her husband didn't venture to far. Eventually, they came up to a staff member, holding blue and yellow Vault Suits with the number 111 on the back.

"Take a suit and follow the doctor here. He'll show you where to go." The staff member handed Nora a suit and gestured to the doctor behind her.

"Thanks." Nora said, turning to the doctor and moving out of the way.

"All right, you three. Follow me!" the doctor waved his hand to get them to follow him. He wore a Pip-Boy, a Vault-Tec wrist computer.

Nate looked down to Shaun and then looked around, "See? This is our new home..." Shaun cooed, looking back up to his father.

The Vault-Tec doctor explained how this Vault is one of the more successful Vaults, and how they are going to love it here.

"How long do you think we're going to be down here?" Nate looked past Nora to ask the doctor.

"Oh, we'll go over all that in orientation. Just a few medical items we have to get through first." the doctor continued walking from hallway to hallway, until they came to a room that was filled with what looked like pods. "The Vault suit is designed to be fashionable as well as comfortable." the doctor stopped at the end of the room.

"Just step in here and put your Vault suit on." the doctor gestured to the pod to his right. Nora slipped her suit over her clothes and took Shaun from Nate so he could slip his on.

"Who's my little guy? I'm not going far. I'll just be right over there." Nora started to tear up as Nate took him. 

"There she is, see? Mommy's not going far." Nate reassured Shaun, bouncing him slightly.

"You alright?" Nora asked Nate, seeing a bit of concern in his look. 

He quickly looked to his wife, "Go ahead. I just want to give Shaun a moment." He smiled to her and kissed her cheek.

Nora smiled, tearing up again. She turned to the Vault-Tec doctor and sat in the pod. the door came down upon her, and she looked to Nate across the way. The doctor walked up to her pod explained what was going to happen. 

"The pod will decontaminate you and depressurize you before we head deeper into the Vault. Just relax." as he walked away, Nate put his hand on the glass. She did the same, a tear running down her cheek. 

"Time for a whole new life." Nora said, smiling to her distant husband.

The computer began to recite off protocols. "Resident secure. Occupant vitals: Normal." A hissing noise grew louder and then stopped. "Procedure complete." The hissing came again, and Nora began to get cold. "In 5... 4... 3... 2... 1..." The glass began to freeze over, and Nora's world went black.


	2. Shaun

Nora opened her eyes. She was still in the pod. She could barely move. She looked out to the pod across from her. Nate's pod. A woman in a strange hazmat suit walked up to his pod and stared for a moment. 

"This is the one, here." The woman pointed at it while a man walked to the opposite side of the pod.

"Open it." The man said in a deep voice, raising a gun to point at the pod before keeping it at his side. The woman threw the switch and the pod hissed, and sent a cloud of icy air free. Nate slumped forward before coughing and gasping for breath.

"Is it over? Are we okay?" Nate gasped for breath and held Shaun close as he cried.

"Almost." the man put his hand up to assure him everything was going to be fine. "Everything's going to be fine." 

The woman slowly crept in closer and closer to Nate with her arms outstretched, "Come here... Come here, baby." she tried taking Shaun.

No, wait. No, I've got him!" Nate said, trying to keep his grip.

The man raised the gun to Nate, "Let the boy go. I'm only going to ask you once." He pulled the hammer back.

"I'm not giving you Shaun!" He pulled on Shaun, but it was no use. The gun went off. Nate let go of Shaun, slumping back into his pod. The woman backed away quickly and bounced crying Shaun.

"Goddammit! Get the kid out of here, and let's go." He looked away from Nate with his gun still pointing upward from the recoil. He turned to face the woman and put the gun at his side. The man walked right up to Nora's pod and looked up and down her, "At least we still have the backup..." He frowned, walking away. The computer recited the action that was carried out.

"Cryogenic sequence reinitialized." she said, as the hissing in the pod came back, causing once again, a blackout.


	3. Giant Roaches

Nora sputtered, gasping and coughing for air. She looked around the frosty pod, banging on the glass. It groaned, and hissed open. She took quick breaths as the pod opened and she pulled herself out.

Nora fell to her knees, gasping. She sat a moment, trying to catch her breath. She stared at her balled fists and shivered. After a moment, she looked up to Nate's pod. Nora got up on shaky legs and stumbled over to his pod, yanking on the manual handles. 

"Come on! There has to be a release..." She quickly said, double taking at the control panel to her right. She switched the handle and shivered more as the pod opened. "Come on, come on, come on! Oh God." she cried as she looked at Nate's frozen body. She heaved, covering her mouth. She reached out to her husband with shaky hands, touching his defrosting cheek.

"Nate..." Nora sobbed, as blood slowly started dripping from the bullet hole in his chest. She stumbled closer to him and wrapped her arms around him. 

Nora didn't know what she was going to do, but she had to do something. He had to still be alive. Somehow.

Nora pulled him towards her, and she fell back, landing hard on the concrete floor, banging her head. She didn't care. Nate's body fell on his side to her left with a thump. She crawled over to him, tears running down her face. 

"Nate? Baby?" she brushed his wet hair out of his eyes. Nate's wound bled more and started to pool under his arm. She sat up and sniffled, pulling him into her lap. She ran her fingers over his face and through his hair. "Baby? Wake up. Please wake up Nate." She lightly slapped his cheek.

Nora sat in silence for a while, waiting for a response she would never get. She couldn't-no-wouldn't believe he was gone. Nora's eyes began to tear up and she let out quiet, shaky sobs. She closed her eyes tightly and kissed her husband's cold forehead. She pulled him to where his head would rest on her shoulder. Nora wrapped her hands under Nate's arms and rocked him back and forth.

After Nora regained her strength, she dragged Nate back to his pod. She took his wedding ring off, "I'll find who did this and I'll get Shaun back. I promise." She kissed his forehead on last time before shutting his pod and checking the other pods.

"Oh God... Why would Vault-Tec do this?" Nora asked herself, quickly checking pod to pod. "I can't be the only one left... HELLO! ANYONE!?" she yelled into the darkened Vault. The place that was supposed to be a refuge now seemed like a prison. A crypt. 

Nora checked more of the pods. Only finding more of the dead. "They're all dead..." She whispered, rubbing her arms and shivering. She walked to the hallway door and opened it. Nora stumbled through the doorway and called out to anyone. But no one heard her; there was no one to hear. 

Nora walked around the Vault like a lost puppy. Cold, wet, and lost. Soon, she found herself a security baton, she kept it with her, just in case something were to happen and she needed to defend herself. 

Something was on the glass window above the box the baton was sitting on. It chittered and trilled, and when she looked up, it was gone.

 

Nora's head started to pound. She rubbed the back of her head and winced. She looked out the window to see what was in the next room. They looked like Tesla Arcs. She crept around the corner and shook the baton to extend the bar. As soon as Nora set foot in the room, the Arcs activated, sending electrical bolts out in all directions. She gasped and pressed herself against the back wall, slowly inching her way to the door. The bolts barely missed her. 

When Nora reached the doorway, she inched to the other side of the wall, still pressed up against it. As soon as she was on the safe side, she sighed heavily and relaxed a bit. Her relaxation was short-lived. Nora heard the chittering again. She looked up to see giant cockroaches walking around. They noticed her as well, lunging themselves in her direction. Nora was knocked down by the force of three of these irradiated roaches, overwhelming her. She screamed, knocking two of them off and beating them to death with her baton. The third was attached to her leg, and it bit down. Hard. "Damn it!" Nora yelled, kicking the roach off and stepping on it; it releasing a screech.

"Giant roaches? What the hell..." Nora mumbled, poking the last one with her baton. She stood up and walked to the next doorway. A 10mm pistol and 32 rounds awaited her on a crate by the door. She took the gun and ammo, trying to remember how Nate taught her to reload and fire a gun. She aimed with it with one hand, just to test it out. It was heavier than Nora remembered, so she used two hands. It kept her aim steadier, as well as made her more comfortable.

Nora opened the door and continued to the entrance. She tried shooting at the Radroaches that came her way, but she missed horribly. She stuck to using her baton; until she became a better shot. 

Nora found the elevator, but she couldn't operate it. She needed a Pip-Boy to activate it. And look at who just so happened to have said Pip-Boy. The Doctor at her feet, now reduced to a skeleton, carried the Pip-Boy she needed.

 

Nora took the Pip-Boy and plugged it in to the manual door override. Orange lights danced on the walls and a warning siren blared. "Vault door cycling sequence initiated. Please stand back." The Vault computer still worked after all these years. 

Nora watched in silence as the mechanical arm removed the gear shaped Vault door. She walked onto the extending platform and shielded her eyes from the light from the elevator room. She ran down the stairs and eagerly awaited the elevator. Slowly, but surly, it came. The gate that blocked the elevator entrance hissed and screeched, the metal scraping and cutting into itself. Sparks flew as it slowly raised itself to let her in. As soon as Nora was clear, she scrambled onto the elevator. 

"Enjoy your return to the surface. And thank you for choosing Vault-Tec." The computer bid farewell to Nora, sending her into the total darkness of the elevator.


	4. Nothing Left

The elevator jolted up and down, sending Nora to a crouching position. The elevator cover opened up as she regained her balance, letting in the bright sunlight. She shielded her eyes as the elevator stopped, then looked around. 

Nora let out a shocked sigh. "There's... There's nothing left..." she covered her mouth and looked at the ruined wasteland. Singed dead trees covered the area. A rusted car lay next to the Vault. The dead littered the path to her home. She walked around a moment, looting anything she could.

"I have to go home." Nora whispered to herself before taking off down the road and to Sanctuary Hills. She panted as she reached the bridge. The whole neighborhood was destroyed.   
Nora saw something move out of the corner of her eye, and pulled out her pistol. She pressed herself against a building to her left, where she saw the moving thing. She peered out and her eyes widened as she saw the thing clearer. 

"Codsworth?" Nora said, speed walking over to him and tripping over rubble from the concaved houses.

"As I live and breathe! Mum! It's... It's really you." his three eyes turned to look at   
her and he stopped trimming the already dead hedges.

"Codsworth! You're... still here. So... other people could still be alive, too." Nora told herself, more than she told Codsworth.

"Well of course I'm still here!" he said with an irritated tone, "Surely you don't think a little radiation could deter the pride and joy of General Atomics International?" he asked her. "But you seem to be worse for wear. Best not let the hubby see you in that state. Where is sir, by the way?" Codsworth looked behind Nora and seemed to look around.

"They...they killed him." Nora said, taking a deep breath.

"Mum... these things you are saying... These terrible things. I believe you need a distraction. Yes! A distraction to calm this dire mood." Codsworth raised his arm with the grabber. "It's been ages since we've had a proper family activity. Checkers. Or perhaps charades. Shaun does so love that game. Is the lad... with you?" Codsworth's eyes searched around again once more, to no prevail.

Nora's voice started to crack, "It doesn't make sense..." she sighed, "There's just no reason someone would take my baby..." she started to tear up.

"It's worse than I thought. Mm hmm. You're suffering from... hunger-induced paranoia. Not eating properly for 200 years will do that, I'm afraid." Codsworth seemed to drop down a bit from his normal hovering height.

"200 years? Are you... sure?" Nora asked, a shocked tone in her voice.

"A bit over 210 actually, mum. Give or take a little for the Earth's rotation and some minor dings to the ole' chronometer." Codsworth tapped his metal plating with an arm. "That means you're two centuries late for dinner!" he chuckled, "Perhaps I can whip you up a snack? You must be famished." 

Nora looked at Codsworth strangly, "Codsworth, you're acting... a little bit weird. What's wrong?" 

"I... I..." Codsworth's voice seemed to crack and become saddened, "Oh mum, it's been just horrible! Two centuries with no one to talk to, no one to serve." He used his arm with the grabber to point at Nora's house, "I spend the first 10 years trying to keep the floors waxed, but nothing gets out nuclear fallout from vinyl wood. Nothing!" Codsworth spun his hands around, "And don't get me started about the futility of dusting a collapsed house. And the car! The car! How do you polish rust!?" his tone was very mournful.

"What do you know Codsworth?" Nora asked calmly.

"I'm afraid I don't know anything, mum. The bombs came, and all of you left in such a hurry. I thought for certain you and your family were... dead." Codsworth's eyes focused in and out. "I did find this holotape. I believe sir was going to present it to you as a surprise. But then, well... everything 'happened'."

"Thanks Codsworth." Nora took the tape and examined it, before putting it in a pocket on her Vault suit. 

Codsworth's tone returned to normal, "Now! Enough feeling sorry for myself. Shall we search the neighborhood together? Sir and young Shaun may turn up yet."

"All right. Lead the way." Nora said, forcing a slight smile. 

"Proud to serve, mum!" Codsworth said joyfully and floated down the road.

Nora pulled out her weapon, "Oh, Codsworth? Is... there anything dangerous around here?" she followed Codsworth.

"Just the usual, mum. pesky neighborhood dogs and mosquitoes." He looked back to her with one eye.

Nora and Codsworth explored the neighborhood to no avail. The only things they found were giant bugs. Irradiated bloat flies. 

"Sir and young Shaun... They're not here, mum." Codsworth said mournfully.

"Thanks for trying Codsworth." Nora said, starting to choke up.

"Don't give up yet, mum! Why not head to Concord? The people there have only shot at me once or twice..." Codsworth said, spinning his arms and pointing to the city.

"There are people still alive in Concord?" Nora said hopefully. 

"Yes! You still remember the way? Over the bridge and past the old Red Rocket gas station?" Codsworth hovered a moment before floating past her to point at the bridge. "I'll stay here and keep an eye out for sir and young Shaun."

"Thank you Codsworth." Nora offered him a friendly smile before jogging to the Red Rocket station. A German Shepherd ran up to her when she got to the station, wagging his tail.

"Hey there boy. Where's your owner, huh?" the dog yawned, making Nora chuckle. "Alright, you can come with me, boy." The dog barked excitedly, dancing on his toes.

Nora and Dogmeat walked to Concord, hearing gunfire after reaching the city limits. Dogmeat growled at a man that was just in front of Nora. "Get 'em, boy." Nora whispered, raising her pistol to the man's back. She fired.


	5. The Enemy Of My Enemy Is My Friend

"Hey! You down there!" Nora looked up to the voice calling out, "Yes you! We could use your help in here! The Raiders are about to break through the door!" the man waved at Nora before ducking as the wooden door frame above his head cracked and splintered when a bullet pierced it. 

Nora squinted and stood up from her barricade to get a better look at the man, before collapsing behind her barricade as a barrage of bullets sprayed around her. Dogmeat jumped onto a Raider that was only feet away from her, knocking him to the ground. Nora ran up to the Raider as Dogmeat bit down on his arm. She pointed the gun at his head and fired. 

Nora looked back to the building and clicked her tongue to Dogmeat and darted for the door. She ran in, slamming the door behind her and Dogmeat. Bullets pierced the door, sending splinters of wood off and causing her to wince and run out into the open.

"Huh? What was that?" a Raider asked and looked down to Nora, "Oh hell no!" Another raider said, turning their gaze from the window upstairs to looking down at Nora. They paced a moment before firing at her. They shot at her feet, causing her to fall back and scoot back into the doorway. A bullet hit her lower left leg. Nora gasped and winced, pressing up against the right of the doorway. Someone had gotten the Raider's attention above her, because they stopped firing at her. She aimed at the Raiders and shot one in the shoulder, sending him down the ruined bridge and to his death on her floor.

Nora stood up and leaned on the doorframe, preparing herself for a run. She took deep breaths and limped out to the corridor. She looked up to the Raider, who was still focused on someone above her. He injecting himself with a syringe, and she watched as his wounds healed up. A laser beam struck him and she watched as his burns healed. The used syringe fell to her and she examined it. STIMPAK was printed on the side. She remembered picking up a few of those on her way out of the Vault. 

Nora pulled out hers and stabbed it into her leg. She trigged it. It hissed and injected Nora with the liquid inside. She gasped as she was flooded with adrenalin. She stopped limping and took off into the collapsed doorway that lead upstairs. 

Nora crouched and started creeping up the stairs. She heard two Raiders talking to each other.

"I don't care what the boss will do to me! I'm not gonna sit here and get myself killed." One of them argued to the other.

"You're staying right here. Or I'll shoot you myself. Now, there's someone in here. And the boss expects US to kill him. So that's just what we're going to do." The other growled to the first.

Nora tapped Dogmeat lightly, "Get 'em boy." Dogmeat growled, charging one of them and taking him down. The other shot at Dogmeat, sending Nora to shoot the Raider. Many times. More than was needed. Dogmeat whimpered and limped around. Nora didn't know what to do, so she STIMPAKed Dogmeat. He jumped up and starting bouncing around.

Nora pat his head and crept higher up the stairs. "All right. Someone's come into my home and killed all my men. Once I kill them, you're next, you hear me!?" The leader threatened someone behind the wall.

Nora hid behind the Nuka-Cola machine when the leader walked out the doorway and towards her. She peered out from the corner and saw the leader walking the other way. She pointed her pistol at the leader and squeezed the trigger. The bullet hit the leader's armour; he jumped, and spun around. Nora's eyes widened and she repeatedly squeezed the trigger. The leader gripped his left leg and limped closer to her. He had a pool cue.

Nora ducked back behind the machine, reloading. Dogmeat darted into the opened room with the balcony, attacking another Raider. She called out to him in a whispered voice before a stick whacked her right arm. She jumped and covered her head as the stick repeatedly beat against her right side.

Nora shielded her head with her right arm and repeatedly squeezed the trigger shooting the leader. He screamed and fell back to the ground with a thud. Nora looked out from her arm and sighed thankfully. She groaned as she stood up, her whole right side stung. Nora picked up anything and everything useful on the leader before walking out to the balcony where Dogmeat ran off to and saw the man she saw outside to her right. 

"Thanks for that. We really needed your help." The man beckoned her to the room they were holed up in.

"No problem... I guess. Have you seen my dog?" Nora looked around on the balcony and walked over to the man.

"Yeah, he's in here." The man smiled, "He's a good dog."

"Oh okay. So... what are you guys doing in here?" Nora asked, rubbing her side.

"We were looking for a new place to settle down. We thought Concord would be a good place... but the Raiders proved us wrong. We're now headed to a place near here. Sanctuary Hills. Have you been there?" The man put his laser musket down at his side.

"Yeah... I, uh... used to live there." Nora said, rubbing the back of her neck.

"What do you mean you used to live there?" the man asked with a chuckle.

"I used to live there... 200 years ago." Nora shrugged.

"So you're a Vault Dweller huh?" The man raised his eyebrows, "Wow." he chuckled.

"What happened to your last home?" Nora asked curiously.

"Ferals overran us. There used to be 8 of us... now there's 5. Myself-Preston, Sturges here," he nodded to the man at the terminal to his left, "Mama Murphy and the Long's; Marcy and Jun." Preston nodded back to the other 3.

"Ferals?" Nora asked, confused.

"You really are fresh, aren't you... Feral Ghouls. They're like Ghouls, but the radiation rotted their brains." Preston widened his eyes.

"Oh... So, did you guys need any other help?" Nora looked around, then stopped at Dogmeat who was laying down next to Mama Murphy.

"Sturges, tell her." Preston turned to Sturges, and Sturges looked up from the terminal and turned around, sitting on the desk.

"So here's the deal. On the roof here is a crashed Vertibird. And a minigun is attached to it." Sturges explained in a thick southern accent. "Here's the catch. Obviously you can't just rip the minigun off with your bare hands." He chuckled, "But you're in luck. There is a set of T-45 Power Armour on the roof as well. All you need is a standard issue Fusion Core to get it up and functional." Sturges pointed at Nora, "And you are probably the luckiest person in the Waste, because just downstairs is a Fusion Core. All you gotta do is unlock the gate and take the Core." Sturges smiled and looked back to Preston.

"So what do you say? Are you in?" Preston asked Nora with a hopeful look.

"Sure, I'm in." Nora said with a smirk. 

"Good. I'll help cover you outside." Preston nodded to Nora and turned to go out to the balcony. Nora sighed and ran out to get to the stairs. 

When she reached the lowest part of the ruined museum, she searched for a gated area. It wasn't hard to find. Nora could just see the Core inside; through the mesh. She checked the terminal to her right on the wall. It controlled the door. She searched the database, finding the duds and keywords. Then she heard a joyous tone come from the terminal, and the screen changed.

"Got it..." Nora whispered, pressing "enter" multiple times. Basically, she was telling the terminal to unlock the door. Once the door opened, she ejected the Core and sent the powerhouse to shut-down.

Nora whistled to Dogmeat as she flew up the stairs and out onto the roof. There it stood; lost in time. T-45 Power Armor. It was extremely rusted and worn, but it still stood upright. She remembered the times the soldiers would walk around her town with the armor on. It was so bulky and large. Just as it is now. She slipped in the Fusion Core, yanked the pressure lock to the right and backed up so the armour could open up. The back lifted and the arms and legs lifted out. She fit herself inside and the armor closed behind her. 

The only way she knew all this was when Nate let her inside his Power Armor that one time when they first got married. The pressure locked and the screens popped up on her visor. It showed the Armor's health, how much power was in the core, and the speed boost percentage. It also displayed a virtual map at the bottom of the screen. She took a few steps forward and tested out the hand grips. She had full control of all the fingers, and everything seemed to be in working order. Nora chuckled and stomped over to the minigun on the Vertibird. She ripped it off the side and headed to the edge of the building. Nora put one foot on the edge and looked down. She remembered watching Soldiers pour out of Vertibirds while they were still flying. She saw Preston below her and moved a few inches to the left. Nora braced herself for a jump, then remembered Dogmeat.

"Dogmeat, come here boy!" Nora beckoned him over; and he trotted happily over to her. "You're not going to like this boy, but we have to get down now." she heard the bullets resume, clanking against her armor and breaking the wood below her. She picked Dogmeat up with her right arm and held the minigun with her left, jumping off the roof. Nora crashed to the ground in a cloud of dust. 

The ground shook. The Raiders stopped firing because they couldn't see anything. When the dust cleared, Dogmeat came shooting out of what remained, and Nora held the trigger on the minigun, bullets raining down on anyone she could see.

Something in the distance banged as Nora walked closer to the raiders firing at her. She looked out and saw two large metal doors burst open from the inside, sending the doors flying. Out came a beast she had never seen before. Raiders turned their attention to the beast as well.

"DEATHCLAW! RUN!" One shouted, firing at the "Deathclaw". The Deathclaw stood on two legs, and had two long arms with large claws. It had a smaller head, with massive horns. It looked like an overgrown lizard.

Nora saw the Deathclaw tear down Raider after Raider, heading in Nora's direction, and fast. She aimed her minigun as best she could and fired all she had at him. The Deathclaw ran faster towards her, getting on all fours. Nora fired up and down the Deathclaw as it stood above her. It threw her down with one hand, getting it's other hand ready to strike. Nora braced herself and raised her arm to shield her head. The Deathclaw ripped the Power Armor off her arm and roared at the sky. Nora grabbed a grenade from a corpse next to her and pulled the pin, throwing it right under the Deathclaw's feet. She stood up as fast as she could(it wasn't very fast) and ran away from the active grenade. She turned to see the grenade had landed under a car. The Deathclaw stepped over the car just as the bomb went off. It sent the car up in flames, and made the Deathclaw jump. The Deathclaw turned to the car and hit it; the car exploded, killing the Deathclaw. 

Nora laughed triumphantly, examining the Deathclaw closer. After a minute of looking, she went to check on Preston and the others.

"I think you guys are safe now." Nora took her helmet off and smiled; her face covered in dirt.

"Boy, I'm sure glad you're on our side." Preston said as his eyes widened.

"I'm just glad I could help." Nora nodded to Preston.

"Why don't you come with us to Sanctuary? We could use someone like you on our side." Preston asked, putting his musket to his side again.

"I can help you kid. I know you've lost someone. Your son... I can feel his energy. He's alive!" Mama Murphy said, sitting down on the couch next to Preston and Nora.

"Shaun?" Nora turned to Mama Murphy, "Where is he? Where is Shaun?" Nora asked franticly.

"I don't know where he is kid... But I know where you can start looking. The Great Green Jewel of the Commonwealth. Diamond City." She looked tiredly up to Nora, "But first, come with us to Sanctuary. You have to stock up for your journey."

"Where is this Diamond City?" Nora shifted her helmet from on hand to the other.

"I can show you when we get to Sanctuary." Preston said, nodding to Sturges.

"All right gang. Let's get this show on the road before more Raiders show their ugly faces." Sturges made pushing movements with his arms and walked out after Mama Murphy. Nora put her helmet back on and followed Preston silently.


	6. Sanctuary

*beepbeepbeep* Nora looking on her screen to see that the Fusion Core was at 50%. She called out to the group.

"Preston? I'm gonna drop off the Power Armor. The Core's at 50%." she took her helmet off.

"No problem. Where at though? Where are you holding up?" Preston turned his head, then completely turned around.

Nora pointed to the Red Rocket gas station right up ahead. "Just here. You guys go on ahead. I'll catch up." Dogmeat trotted happily beside Nora as she walked toward Red Rocket.

Preston nodded to her and told the group to keep moving. 

Nora ejected herself out of the Power Armor right in front of a repair station inside Red Rocket. She caught up to Preston and the group right at the front of Sanctuary. 

"We made it guys. Make yourselves at home..." Preston said with little hope in his voice. He turned to Nora, "Well, here we are. Sanctuary. I feel like we can make this work. Especially with your help."

Nora smiled slightly, "Just glad I could help." 

Preston shook her hand, "So are we." Preston stood his musket up next to him, as usual. "How would you like to join the Minutemen?" he asked Nora with a curious look. 

"I... don't know the first thing about the Minutemen." Nora said with a chuckle.

"Well, I can tell you anything you want to know." Preston smiled.

Nora shrugged after a moment of silence, "Why not." 

"Wonderful. Welcome to the Minutemen... General." He waited for her to respond.

"General? Quite a promotion..." Nora chuckled nervously.

"General is what the leader of the Minutemen was always called." Preston shrugged.

"Leader? What about you? You know more about the Minutemen, and have served longer as a Minuteman." Nora asked Preston, holding her hand to him.

"I'm no leader. You saw how I got us trapped back there. Sure, I know a lot more about the Minutemen, but you... you are what we need." He pointed to Nora.

"Okay." Nora sighed after thinking it over.

"Great. I'll let you know if any Settlements need our help. For now, offer help to anyone who needs it. We'll take back the Commonwealth one day." Preston shook her hand again, "I believe Sturges wanted to talk to you... but I know you're eager to head to Diamond City. I'll mark it on your map." He gestured to Nora's Pip-Boy.

Nora held her arm out with the map pulled up on her Pip-Boy. Preston marked a spot that looked like it was directly in the center of the Commonwealth. 

"Thanks Preston. Tell Sturges I'll talk to him some other time." Nora smiled and turned away.


	7. Lost

Nora limped away as fast as she possibly could. Warm blood gushed down her left leg. Growls behind her become awfully close, until she was thrown face first into the ground. She felt nails rake down her backside, causing her to scream in pain. She gripped her baton tightly in her left hand and swung her left arm backwards, killing the Feral Ghoul with a single blow to the head. Nora panted and saw three more Ghouls scrambling to get to her. She struggled to get up, and she staggered off to a police station not too far from her. 

Nora heard laser fire from inside the station walls, but threw herself inside none the less. 

"Civilian in proximity! Watch your fire!" A man in Power Armor yelled as he tried fighting off Ferals. Nora threw herself behind the man onto stairs. She saw a woman holding a rag to a man's torso. Nora sat herself up and reloaded her 10mm. She helped kill as many Ferals as she could; they weren't just after the three people in the Station. 

When the last Feral had fallen, Nora dropped her gun at her side and she panted and laughed in relief.

"Are you alright?" The man in Power Armor asked Nora, examining her wounds.

"I just need a Stimpak. They're just scratches." Nora looked up to the man wearily. The man looked over to the woman against the wall.

"Scribe? Can we get this woman a Stimpak?" The man said, walking over to her and taking a Stimpak.

The man handed the Stimpak to Nora. "Thanks." Nora injected it into her leg and sighed as the pain subsided. 

"No problem. You handled yourself well, for someone so crippled." The man said with a smirk, "Paladin Danse." He held his hand out so he could help Nora up. "And over there is Scribe Halen, and Knight Rhys." Paladin Danse pointed to the woman and man, who waved slightly.

"Nora... You don't happen to, uh, know where Diamond City is, do you?" Nora asked with a concerned look.

"I do, but before I tell you that, I could use someone with your talents." Paladin Danse pointed to the Police station door, "Inside we have a transmitter. It's not powerful enough yet to reach our base, but I know just where to find the pieces we need." he looked down to Nora.

"And what's in it for me?" Nora asked with a raised eyebrow, "Besides the location of Diamond City?" 

"So you're a mercenary. Very well. 100 caps to start. How's that?" Paladin Danse asked.

"100 Caps? C'mon. My time is worth more than that, don't you think?" Nora put a hand on her hip.

"How's 150, then?" Paladin Danse seemed to get a bit frustrated.

Nora shook her head with a shrug and said tauntingly, "Apparently these things you want to go find aren't THAT important." she opened one eye and smirked with her head cocked to the side.

 

"All right, 200 caps. And that's as high as I'll go." Paladin Danse swiped a hand in front of him.

"Deal." Nora said, shaking Paladin Danse's hand.

"Outstanding. Head on inside to restock on ammo and healing supplies. Then come find me, and we'll head out." Paladin Danse took her hand and gestured to the building. Scribe Halen and Knight Rhys were making their way inside when she worked her way over.

***

Nora followed quietly behind the Paladin. He jabbered on about the Brotherhood of Steel and how Knight Rhys, Scribe Halen, and himself were out posted at the police station to secure a location. Finally, they reached the building they needed to get to. Arcjet Industries 

"Be careful in here. Who knows what defenses could be active." The Paladin stopped Nora before he opened the door. 

"Don't worry, I've got your back." Nora pulled out her 10mm.

They walked into the entryway carefully. Broken Protectrons littered the floor in the next blown open room.

"This isn't good." The Paladin stopped and examined the robots, "Not a drop of blood anywhere. Do you know what that means soldier?"

Nora smirked and looked around, nodding slightly, "Yeah... It means we missed the party." Nora sarcastically frowned.

"This is no time for jokes, soldier." the Paladin growled, "It means these robots were destroyed by Institute Synths." He put on his Power Armor helmet and clicked the headlamp on, "Tread lightly."

Nora followed close behind him and whispered to him, "Erm... What's a Synth? And the Institute?" 

"A Synth is a robot that was created to look like humans. The first and second Gen are easy to tell, but the newer Gen's are much harder. They look exactly like humans. The Institute is the place that builds Synths, and dispatches Synths." the Paladin whispered and held his arm out to stop her. He pointed with two fingers at his eyes, then at a Synth quite a ways away. 

It was a crude looking thing. It had no skin; all that was there was a metal "skeleton" with all sorts of tubing and wiring. It was holding a pistol in its hand, one similar to the Paladin's. The Paladin's was more rectangular with sharp edges and painted green, while the Synth's had softer edges and was painted white and orange. 

The Paladin clicked his laser pistol and it started a quiet whirring. He aimed it at the back of the Synth's head and fired. It staggered a moment before crashing to the floor. The Paladin motioned for Nora to follow. As they crept up, another Synth stood not too far off. Nora clicked her safety off and aimed at the back of its head with her 10mm. Nora fired before the Paladin could say anything.

The bullet dented the Synth's head and it turned its head, showing it's glowing black and yellow eyes. They scanned the area and spotted Nora and the Paladin. "Is someone present?" It said, creeping towards them both. The Paladin dispatched the Synth before it got closer. 

"Try this." The Paladin took the laser pistol off the Synth, "Laser's are much more effective. With the energy they emit, it combats their drives and shuts them down. It will take a hell of a lot of bullets to take one down." He handed it to her with some Fusion Cells. 

"Thanks." Nora continued to follow the Paladin as she examined the pistol. 

Eventually, they made it to a open room. "We need to get up there. The stairs are cut off. See if you can't get that elevator running. I'll stay here and watch out for any Synths." The Paladin pointed to an elevator in the room. Something hung down from the roof of the room; it looked like a large engine. Two tubes stuck out in front of it, like a flame thrower is set up.

Nora walked into the room and found a terminal in the back room. She hacked into it with ease and turned the power on. The Arcjet Mainframe spoke. "Engine Core power restored." it cracked at fizzled.

Nora fist pumped slightly and heard laser fire behind her. She flipped around to see the Paladin fighting Synths that were just throwing themselves at him. 

Nora panicked as the Arcjet Mainframe continued, "Thermal Engine fueled, primed and standing by for your command."

"Hit it! Hit the Button!" The Paladin yelled from outside, "I'm overrun!"

Nora looked down to the big red button on the command central. She smacked it without thinking, and the Arcjet Mainframe responded. "Command accepted. Commencing five second countdown... 5... 4... 3..." It paused longer than a second to say the next number, "2... 1..." More Synths fell from the top floor down to the Paladin and fired mercilessly at him. " Engine firing." Nora saw sparks come from the tubes hanging from the roof. Her eyes widened and she heard a deep rumbling and looked in horror as she realised what the thing hanging from the roof was. What this place was. Test fire for engines. The engine fired, lighting everything in the way. Including the Paladin. He fell to one knee as the other Synths were disintegrated instantly. The brilliant red light caused Nora to duck and shield her eyes.

The engine slowly shut down, "Test firing completed with an efficiency rating of 97.6 percent." Nora looked up and saw the Paladin still kneeling, but upright. She rushed out to him.

"Oh my God! Are you all right?" Nora burnt her hand when she touched his Power Armor. 

"Got... cooked by those flames..." the Paladin panted and grunted, "but, thanks to my Power Armor I'm still in one piece." he slowly stood up and pressed a button inside his armor that activated a cool down sequence. He sighed, "The important thing is that we're alive... And have a way to the transmitter. Let's go."

"Are you sure you're all right?" Nora tried looking into his helmet but couldn't see his eyes.

"Yes. Let's go before more Synths show up." The Paladin stomped over to the elevator. 

Nora walked close behind him, "I hope this thing is really worth it..." She mumbled to herself and crammed into the elevator after the Paladin.

A few Synths waited for them at the top, they dispatched them too easily. One of them had the transmitter on them, it seemed they were looking for it too.

"Let's get out of this place." The Paladin said and crammed into the elevator again. Nora followed and the elevator took them outside.

Nora sighed and looked around with her hands on her hips until the Paladin spoke to her.

"That could have gone smoother." The Paladin said with a sigh.

"Smoother? We kicked ass in there!" Nora chuckled and threw her arms up.

"That was horrible. We were caught unprepared more than once. It was unorganized and sloppy." The Paladin took his helmet off. "But with you there, we got the transmitter and are still in one piece." He smiled. "I'd like to give you my personalized Brotherhood of Steel issued laser pistol." he held his helmet in one hand and grabbed his pistol. "I've taken to calling her Righteous Authority." He handed it to Nora.

"But... don't you need it?" Nora looked at it before offering it back to the Paladin.

"A Brotherhood Paladin is never seen without a back-up." He smiled slightly to her and shifted his helmet.

"Thanks." Nora smiled back and loosened her belt so the pistol could fit. 

"Oh, and here's Diamond City." the Paladin marked it on her Pip-Boy. "And before you go, I would like to offer you a place among our ranks. How would you like to join the Brotherhood of Steel?" 

"Join you? You would do that?" Nora looked up surprised at the Paladin.

"I've seen how you work. You obeyed my orders without question. I believe you're Brotherhood material." he offered her a friendly smile.

Nora smirked and nodded her head slowly, "Sure. Can I get an escort to the Police Station? I'll do whatever you want me to do, then I'm headed out to Diamond City." Nora smiled back.

"Outstanding. You are making the right decision, trust me." The Paladin started walking away, "I'll explain what needs to be done, then you can head out. You can work on the mission when you've concluded your business in Diamond City."

Nora followed behind him and listened carefully to his words.


	8. Diamond City

Nora looked at the Baseball Stadium. "Diamond City" was painted on the makeshift barricades on the left and right of the Stadium. A woman appeared behind Nora.

"Hey!" Nora jumped and spun around, "You wanna buy some guns? Drugs? Explosives? I've got it all!" the woman rasped, her right eye twitching as she puffed on her cigarette.

Nora chuckled nervously and turned to the woman, "No thanks." Nora looked back at her caravan. A woman in a gasmask with black hair and a sniper rifle guarded one side of a two-headed bald cow, and to the left was a redheaded man with a crude looking pistol.

"Cricket's the name, selling authentic Wasteland junk's the game. Come find me anytime you need something and can't get it in Diamond City. I assure you I have at least one." Cricket said, pointing at the cow. "My Brahmin is bound to have at least one of everything." the woman to the right of the Brahmin shifted around, keeping her gaze towards Nora.

A woman at the front of the blocked off Stadium yelled into a COM mic. "What do you mean you can't open the gate!? Stop playing around, Danny! I'm out in the open here, for crying out loud!" the woman threw her hands up.

"I have to go... but thanks Cricket." Nora offered a friendly smile and walked over to the gate. 

A man over the COM spoke back to the woman, "I got orders not to let you in, Ms. Piper. I'm sorry, I'm just doing my job."

The woman put her hands up and oohed tauntingly, "Oooh! Just doing your job? Protecting Diamond City means keeping me out, is that it? 'Oh look, it's the scary reporter!" Boo!" The woman said sarcastically.

The man sighed, "I'm sorry, but Mayor McDonough's really steamed, Piper. Sayin' that article you wrote is all lies. The whole city's in a tizzy."

Piper groaned loudly and dramatically, "you open this gate right now Danny Sullivan! I live here. You can't just lock me out!" She sighed. She whined, "Open up..." Piper turned to Nora, "You..." she beckoned Nora closer and whispered, "You want into Diamond City, right?"

"Y-Yeah... I do..." Nora said with a slight chuckle.

"Shhh. Play along." Piper whispered before dramatically saying, "What's that? You say you're a trader from Quincy? You have enough supplies to keep the general store stocked for a whole month? Huh." Piper put her hands on her hips as Nora scratched behind her ear.

Piper held her hands out as to tell Nora to wait, "You hear that Danny? You gonna open the gate and let us in? Or are you going to be the one talking to crazy Myrna about losing out on all this supply?" she spread her hands out. 

The man groaned, "Geez, all right. No need to make it personal, Piper. Give me a minute." the big green gate started groaning as the yellow arm lifted it up.

Piper whispered to Nora, "Better head inside quick before ol' Danny catches on to the bluff."

"After you..." Nora motioned into the lobby.

 

A man appeared and started walking towards Piper, "Piper! Who let you back inside? I told Sullivan to keep that gate shut!" he pointed at her, "You devious, rabble-rousing slanderer! The... the level of dishonesty in that paper of yours! I'll have that printer scrapped for parts." he raised his arms and shook his head.

"Ooh, is that a statement, Mr. McDonough? 'Tyrant mayor shuts down the press?'" Piper raised her hands like she was scared. She turned to Nora, "Why don't we ask the newcomer? Do you support the news? 'Cause the mayor's threatening to throw free speech in the dumpster." Piper put her hand on her hip and waited for a response.

Nora stuttered a moment, "It's not really any of my business..." Nora said, shrugging.

"Oh, I didn't mean to bring you into this argument, miss. No no no... You look like Diamond City material." Mayor McDonough offered a friendly smile and fixed his tie.

Nora very badly wanted to snap at the Mayor, but she instead kept quiet.

"Welcome to the great green jewel of the Commonwealth. Safe. Happy. A fine place to come, spend your money, settle down." He welcomed her with open arms. "Don't let this muckraker here tell you otherwise, all right?"

Nora chuckled, "I'm sure your city's a great place."

Piper turned to Nora again and scoffed, "Yeah... Greatest house of cards in the Commonwealth, until the wind blows." Piper shook her head subtly.

The Mayor cleared his throat, "Now, was there anything in particular you came to our city for?" He looked at Nora questioningly and raised a hand to ignore Piper.

"I'm looking for someone." Nora said, looking at Piper and the Mayor.

"Trying to find someone? Who?" The Mayor asked with a concerned look.

"My baby boy. Shaun. He's less than a year old." Nora said sadly.

Piper stopped everything and turned to Nora, "Wait... Your son is missing?" she said with a concerned tone, then turned to the Mayor, "You hear that McDonough? Is Diamond City Security just going to stand by while a mother, searches for her infant son, all on her own?" she taunted him.

"Don't listen to her... While I am afraid that our security team can't follow every case that comes through, I'm confident you can find help here." He waved Piper off and nodded to Nora. "Diamond City has every conceivable service known to man. One of our great citizens can surely find the time to help you." he offered her a friendly smile.

"A Mayor of a great city is bound to know someone who can help me?" Nora persuaded the Mayor.

"I'm sorry I don't have time for any more questions. I'm a busy man. Enjoy your stay in our fair city!" McDonough turned around and started into the city before Piper stopped him.

"This is ridiculous! Diamond City Security can't spare one officer to help? I want the truth McDonough! What's the real reason security never investigates any kidnappings?" Piper yelled to him angered.

"I've had enough of this, Piper. From now on, consider you and your little sister of yours on notice." The Mayor threw his hands up and continued walking.

Nora just looked at the two of them arguing with wide eyes.

"Yeah keep talking, McDonough. That's all you're good for." Piper yelled to him before turning to Nora, "Hmm. A big Diamond City welcome from the Mayor. You feel honored yet Look, I gotta go get settled in, but, um, step by my office later. I have an idea for an artical you'd be perfect for." Piper said, walking with a idea look on her face.

"Okay... uh, sure. If I find the time." Nora smiled and followed Piper inside. A guard at the gate spoke to Nora.

"Head on inside. Welcome to Diamond City." he nodded to Nora.

Nora smiled to the masked guard and walked inside.


	9. Not Valentine's Day

Nora looked wide eyed around the city and listened to all the advertising. 

"Read the Publick! Is the Institute already here in Diamond City? Get your paper to find out!" A little girl stood on boxes to stand above everything as Nora walked by.

"Haircuts! Get your haircut here!" A barber yelled out to the populace.

"Self prescribed Chems! Recommended by me, myself, and I!" A Chem cooker yelled out.

"Swatter! Buy a Swatter!" A man selling baseball bats yelled.

Nora walked up to the Barber, he was the closest to her. "Excuse me."

"Hey there! You look like you could use a trim. Yes ma'am, your style is something I like to call, The Scav Special. The little flecks of blood really make it stand out."

Nora ignored what he just said and asked him about someone who can help her. "Please, you have to help me. I'm trying to find my baby."

"I... I really shouldn't get involved." he shrugged, "I'm just a barber."

"Well, you must know someone who can help me?" Nora pleaded with the barber.

"Well... You could try the Valentine Detective Agency. Down in the ally. You can't miss the sign." The Barber offered a friendly smile, "John's the name. I hope you find who you're looking for." He waved to Nora as she nodded to him and thanked him.

Nora followed the signs. Bright neon pink signs. She finally found the building where the detective was. She knocked on the door as she opened it; a woman's voice answered the knock.

"Sorry, the agency is closed for now. The Detective is... out." A woman at the far end of the room rummaged through some files. 

"Miss, please, I won't take up much of your time." Nora pleaded and walked into the building.

"Look, I'd love to help you... but the Detective is missing." The woman turned to Nora

"Is there any way I can help?" Nora said, trying not to laugh at the fact that the detective is missing.

"Well... If you really wanted too. Nick was after a case of a kidnapped girl. He went after a group of triggermen run by a man named Skinny Malone. I'll mark it off on your map where he was going." She gestured to Nora's Pip-Boy. "Please bring Nick back." She pleaded, "Tell him Ellie sent you." She looked concerned.

"I'll find him Ellie. Trust me." Nora offered a friendly smile and made her way out the door.

***

Nora crept around the corner of the subway station. A Triggerman argued with another in the next room. She bypassed them without getting their attention. She rushed down the stairs leading deeper into the subway. She came across seven evenly dispersed Triggermen. She removed her laser pistol from her belt and clicked it on. It had a working scope, so she used it as best she could. She took out two Triggermen before the other's started noticing. One saw her at the base of the subway stairs and started firing his SMG at her. She jumped back behind the wall and waited for him to reload. He reloaded right in the open. Nora smiled and shot him, killing him instantly.

Soon the other Triggermen caught onto it and Nora was outnumbered. She rushed over to the man's body; taking his SMG. She stood up and sprayed the area. She held the trigger and killed two men. One remained. He hid behind a pillar. Nora rushed over to the pillar he was hiding behind and crept up to him from the back. She pulled out a small switchblade and stabbed the man in the neck. He gurgled and fell forward, holding his wound and looking up to Nora. 

Something was wrong with his face. He had no nose. His skin looked something awful. It looked like leather, and not to mention it looked melted. His eyes were solid black and he had no hair. He gurgled and clenched his teeth, trying to sit up. Nora placed her foot on his chest and removed the blade from his neck. He quickly tried covering the wound, but it was no use. He bled out.

Nora stuck her blade back into her makeshift sheath, and slung her SMG over her shoulder. Words were etched into the side of the barrel. "Ghoul Slayer" She ran her finger over the scratchy wording before continuing on. Dogmeat stayed close to her side, growling whenever he heard something she didn't. 

Finally, Nora and Dogmeat made it to a Vault door. Nora plugged her Pip-Boy into the door control and watched the door open. A Triggerman called out to no one.

"Is that you Skinny? Darla? Stop playing games guys. Whose at the door?" He appeared from around the corner and got a belly full of lead. He looked like the last guy she just killed. They reminded her of Feral Ghoul's, but they could talk and didn't seem like brainless zombies. If there is a Feral Ghoul, there must be just Ghouls. I bet that's what these guys are. She thought to herself before pressing on into the Vault. She came into a cafeteria and saw a man on the second level talking to someone behind a glass window. 

"Make yourself comfortable Nicky. Skinny will be back any moment to deal with ya." the man taunted-who Nora believed- Nick.

Nora pulled out her laser pistol and fired three shots at the man before Nick could respond. 

A Synth looked against the glass at the man's dead body. "Well that's that then." He said in a gruff voice. Nora walked up to the glass and he stood back. "Well hello there. You mind helping me out? I can't unlock the door from inside here..."

Nora cautiously looked at the Synth before unlocking the terminal, using the pass code she found on the man at her feet. 

"Well, would you look at this reverse Damsel in Distress scenario." the Synth said, lighting a cigarette. 

"Are you Nick Valentine?" Nora asked the Synth, gun still drawn.

"I am. But not many people knew where I went. How did you find me?" Nick puffed on the cigarette and folded his arms.

"Ellie, your secretary sent me. I'm trying to find my son. He was kidnapped." Nora put her pistol away.

"Ellie? I should give her a raise..." Nick threw the cigarette, "Now what's this about a missing kid? I do LOVE kidnappings." Nick said sarcastically, "Let's get out of here before Skinny's men realize he's not coming back. Then we'll talk." Nick walked out the door and started sneaking around, heading out a side door. Nora followed, sneaking around with him and listening to how he got taken. How he was on the case of finding a supposedly kidnapped girl, who is really Skinny's new squeeze. Then he went on about how Skinny's name is ironic. 

They killed anyone that got in their way, Nora got hit a few times. Nothing a few Stimpaks couldn't heal. Nick came to a door that was locked. "I hear big, fat, footsteps on the other side of this door. Be prepared for anything." Nora pulled her SMG and nodded to Nick, who unlocked the door.

Nick stood up as Skinny Malone addressed him, "Is this how you repay me for my hospitality Nicky? Bringing a friend here to kill all my men?" Skinny Malone had two Ghouls to his left and right with SMG's drawn. A woman stood to Skinny's left.

"What, you ashamed you got beat up by a girl? I'll just run back home to daddy." the woman taunted Nick; shifting a bat around in her arms.

Nora looked to the woman she realised was Darla, the missing girl. "Darla, what are you doing here?" she asked Darla, "You have a family to go home too... Go home Darla. You don't have to be here." Nora pleaded with her.

"I... I... Oh you're right! I don't need to be here." Darla stuttered and her face dropped.

"Darla..? Where you goin'?" Skinny turned to Darla who had started leaving.

"Home, Skinny. Where I should've been the whole time." Darla turned away from him and ran out the Vault entrance.

"Argh! Nicky! First your friend here costs me my men, now my girl!" He scowled, "What do you want?" he shifted his SMG.

"My friend here just did you a favor. You always did have a bad taste in women, Skinny." Nick raised his robotic hand to explain, "As for what we want, out will suffice." Nick waited for a response.

Skinny groaned, "Fine, but if I still see your mugs around here in 10 seconds, I'll fill you with lead." Skinny looked at Nick and Nora, counting down.

"We'd better get out of here, and fast. We're lucky he let us off like that." Nick started running out to the Vault entrance. Nora followed close behind, watching Nick's back and listening to Skinny's countdown fading. 

Nick came to a ladder and climbed up. She followed, and Nick pushed a manhole cover out of the way and Nora found herself somewhere she has never been. Her Pip-Boy beeped, and a signal came up. One for the Paladin's mission he sent her on.

"Well, we made it. Did you want to come with me to Diamond City or meet me there? I see something looks like it's come up?" Nick asked, gesturing with his hand at her Pip-Boy.

"Yeah... uh... I'll meet you in Diamond City. I have some things I have to do first." Nora shrugged and smiled. 

"No problem. You know where to find me." Nick offered a strangely friendly, smile, and lit a cigarette, walking off.


	10. The Lost Patrol

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry about the delay in reposting... I've been busy with work, drawing, and moving... But here you go, Chapter 10.

Nora followed the signal on her Pip-Boy, leading her to a rundown police station. Well, most of them were rundown nowadays.

Anyway, the signal got stronger as she walked closer. A few Feral Ghouls made themselves seen, twitching their way towards her. She disposed of them like the trash they were. Not really caring for a quiet entrance, she kicked the door down. One Ghoul picked itself off the ground, another fell from the concaved ceiling, and another crawled out of another room and headed her way. Nora smirked and grabbed her SMG, spraying the area. When all three of the Feral Ghouls dropped, she checked each room for the Distress Signal Pulser. Nora entered a room where it got really strong, and kept walking until she came across a body. A girl, dressed in Brotherhood of Steel fatigues with a chest piece. Next to her lay a holotape and the Pulser. 

Nora bent down to the woman and examined her. She wore holotags, just as any other Brotherhood soldier. "Knight Astlin" was projected on the tags. Nora sighed and took her tags, the holotape, and deactivated the Pulser. "Rest easy, Knight..." Nora stood up with her tags in hand, hanging them around her neck.

Dogmeat growled and faced the doorway. Nora turned to her dog, leaning down to him and patting his back. "What is it boy?" She looked up and saw a bullet riddled, bleeding, Feral Ghoul staggered into the doorway. She kept her eyes on the Ghoul as she stood up. It looked at her with dying eyes before crashing to the ground.

Nora looked down at its body before leaving the building. She whispered to herself as she pulled the map out on her Pip-Boy and followed the marker Paladin Danse placed on a Satellite Array. 

Nora ran to the Array. By the state of Knight Astlin, her next contact may or may not be alive. She looked at the giant tower and found a smoldering building not too far away from the tower. She stopped and panted a moment before darting to the building. The air felt heavy inside the collapsed building, and her lungs burned. Nora heard her Geiger counter clicking. She was taking rads. She coughed and covered her mouth with her forearm as her eyes started burning. Nora looked with watery eyes towards a set of legs sticking out from behind a desk in the corner of the house. Sets of power armor littered a crater inside the house, fused shut. Nora stepped over them and headed toward the legs. The signal got stronger, until she spotted the Pulser next to a man's body.

Nora sighed again, choking on the rads. She bent down to the man in Brotherhood of Steel scouting armor, examining his holotags. "Scribe Faris" was projected on the tags. "Rest easy, Scribe." she rasped, coughing again. Nora quickly took his tags, deactivated the Pulser, and took the holotape. The third marker was much further away, closer to Red Rocket. She listened to the holotapes she had collected. First the Knight's, then the Scribe's. Then, one she had forgotten about. 

The tape screeched, "Oops. Ha ha ha. No, little fingers away." Nora heard Nate's voice and she stopped dead in her tracks and stared straight ahead. Dogmeat ran on, turning back to her when he noticed she wasn't following, and whimpered. "There we go. Just say it. Right there. Just say it. Go ahead." she heard Shaun giggle, "Ha ha, yay! Hi honey! Listen... I don't think Shaun and I need to tell you how great of a mother you are... but we're going to anyway." Nora felt warm tears streak down her face. "You are kind, and loving..." Shaun laughed, "and funny! Ha ha. That's right. And patient. So patient. Patience of a saint, as your mother used to say." Dogmeat slowly walked back to Nora with his ears down, realizing her grief. "Look, with Shaun, and us all being at home together... It's been an amazing year. But even so, I know our best days are yet to come." Nora sobbed, "There will be changes, sure. Things we'll need to adjust to." Nora laughed slightly and fell to her knees in front of Dogmeat, "I'll rejoin the civilian workforce. You'll shake the dust off your law degree." She ran her fingers over Dogmeat's head slowly as he whimpered. "But everything we do, no matter how hard... we do it for family." Nora breathed heavy and sniffled, "Now say goodbye Shaun... Bye bye? Say bye bye?" Shaun giggled again. "Bye honey! We love you!" the holotape ended.

***

Nora kept her head down the rest of the walk. She came across a bunker that was locked down tight. She came up on the terminal and hacked it. She was a little frazzled, so it took her a few tries. Once she hacked the terminal, she unlocked the door. Nora was no longer careless; who knows what waited behind the door. 

Nora crept to the door with her 10mm drawn. "Hello?" she said quietly, walking blindly into the darkened bunker. She felt a tap on her shoulder, she spun around and something hard hit her face. Nora was sent to the ground, groaning and grabbing her nose. The lights turned on.

"Who the hell are you?! And how did you find me here?" an old man pointed a laser pistol at her. He wore black Brotherhood of Steel fatigues, with a chest piece, and a few other body pieces. Nora recognized the man to be Paladin Brandis, the man mentioned in Knight Astling's and Scribe Faris' holotapes. 

"Whoa... Whoa!" Nora turned to him and put a bloodied hand out, still holding her nose. "It's all right Paladin Brandis!"

"How do you know me?! You'd better start talking before I start firing on you." Paladin Brandis turned on his laser pistol.

"Easy, easy!" Nora put both her hands up, blood dripping down her face into her mouth. She spit onto the floor, "I was sent by Paladin Danse to find you and your lost patrol." Nora slowly reached around her neck and grabbed the two holotags she wore, "See? These are your squad's holotags." 

Paladin Brandis snatched the holotags and read them. "You said... Paladin Danse sent you? With the Brotherhood? Brotherhood of Steel?" he asked quietly.

"Yes, he wanted me to find you and your squad-if you were even alive-and ask you to return to the Brotherhood." Nora spit on the ground again.

Paladin Brandis turned his pistol off and stopped pointing it at Nora. He helped her up, "Well, I have no intentions of dealing with the Brotherhood anymore." he sighed, "I guess I should repay you for bringing me these..." Paladin Brandis held the holotags up. "So... take whatever you need and get out of here. You can tell Paladin Danse I have no other wishes to deal with them anymore." Paladin Brandis walked out from behind the door and sat in a chair by a cot.

"I'll tell him... and thanks... I guess." Nora said. She took very little: two Stimpaks, a Radaway, Buffout, and one Med-X. She said goodbye to Brandis, holding her sleeve to her nose as she left. She moaned and shook her head, heading for the Cambridge Police Station to report back to Paladin Danse.

***

Nora beat down on her Pip-Boy as the screen went fuzzy once more. "That's the third time in the last 5 minutes..." She shook her head, clicking the dial over to Radio. Nora clicked down to the Diamond City Radio tab. 

Before turning it on, a man in a greaser jacket with combat armor strapped to his legs walked passed. He had messy silver hair, a goatee with sideburns, and he wore patrolman sunglasses. It's the third time he's walked passed her in the time she stopped for a lunch break. She waved one arm to him as he saluted with the hand he didn't have on his revolver. Nora watched him for another moment before turning to pushy Dogmeat. 

"What is it boy? Ready to head out?" Nora pat his head, "How about some tunes?" she turned back to the radio and clicked it on. A song she hadn't heard in a long time started playing. Her favorite. The Wanderer, by Dion. She smiled slightly and stood up from her rocky seat. "C'mon boy." Nora smiled and slowly walked behind the man.


	11. Jack

"Ah, Initiate." Paladin Danse saluted Nora. She saluted back, "What word of our lost patrol?"

Nora sighed, "I found everyone dead, besides Brandis." she pointed to her nose, "Who I would say, found me first."

"'Paladin' Brandis. Know your addresses Initiate." Paladin Danse looked closer, "Well... He sure wailed on you didn't he?" He placed his hand lightly under Nora's chin and shifted her head to examine the bruise more carefully.

Nora started blushing, "Excuse me Paladin... But Brandis wishes to remain just Brandis, sir." 

Paladin Danse removed his hand from under Nora's chin and looked her in the eyes, "What are you saying, Initiate?"

Nora cleared her throat, "Brandis doesn't want to work with the Brotherhood anymore. He quit. After his patrol died... he didn't want to lose anyone else he cared about, I guess." She shrugged.

"Well that's a shame. He was a good soldier." Paladin Danse looked passed Nora to see Scribe Halen, "Thank you for the report. If you have time, Scribe Halen and Knight Rhys may have work for you." He offered a slight smile.

Nora cleared her throat, "Actually, sir, I found someone who can help me in Diamond City... If you wouldn't mind if I went to him." she asked carefully.

"Initiate... What exactly do you need help with in Diamond City?" The Paladin shifted around in his power armor.

Nora paused for a while, "My son, sir. He was stolen from me, and my husband murdered. I want to find the man who has caused me this grief." Nora spat, unintentionally towards Paladin Danse.

"Nora... I'm truly sorry. Please," Paladin Danse motioned to the door, "locate this man, and bring him to justice. Ad Victoriam, sister." 

"Ad Victoriam." Knight Rhys and Scribe Halen saluted Nora and returned to their duties.

"Ad Victoriam, Paladin Danse. Knight, Scribe." Nora nodded to them all and headed out. 

***

Nora and Dogmeat ran side by side. She darted around a corner and smacked face first into a man. Nora surprisingly bounces off the man's chest. She looked up to the man confused. It was the man she saw patrolling. The man who passed her three times.

The man looked down to Nora and his eyebrows furrowed. "You... I saw you yesterday. Are you following me?" the man reached down to Nora and picked her up by her suit collar, "Who sent you to follow me? Did they really think that sending a girl would keep me from beating you?" he snickered and raised a fist to Nora.

Nora flinched and put her hands up, "Hey, hey! I'm not following you. I'm running from Supermutants." Nora heard a rhythmic beeping behind the man as he started putting his hand down, "Speaking of the devil..." she pointed to a Suicider behind the man.

"You think I'm going to fall for the old 'Look behind you!' crap, do you?" The man chuckled and raised his fist again.

Nora scoffed and quickly drew her laser pistol, shooting the Supermutant Suicider's nuke in his hand. It exploded, sending Nora down to the ground as well as the man. He crushed her with his size. Nora hit her head on the broken road and blacked out.  
***  
Jack groaned, lifting himself off the woman in the blue Vault suit. He rolled to the left and breathed heavily before looking to the woman. He sat up, looking to the Suicider-well, what was left of the Suicider. Jack heard barking in the distance as he stood up and picked the woman up, and her weapon. It was cracked down the metal barrel, right in between the words, "Righteous" and "Authority". A German Sheppard came bounding down the alley where Jack and the woman were. Jack stumbled a moment once he had the woman in his arms while the dog halted to a stop. The dog pinned his ears back and bared his teeth. He growled and barked at Jack, causing him to back up.

"Easy boy. Is this your master?" Jack asked the dog curiously, bending down with the woman in his arms so the dog could smell her. 

The dog smelled the woman and licked her face once before backing up. Jack stood up with a grunt and started walking towards a cluster of buildings while talking to the dog who followed close behind.

"I'm gonna take her to that big building there. It's got a couch, fridge with food in it- not sure if it's eatable; and a weapons bench. I'll fix up her gun here." Jack whispered to himself, "Then I can check who she is and why she's following me." the dog ran out in front of Jack, sniffing around and checking the area. "I already cleared it out, boy." Jack adjusted his grip on Nora and backed into a door that lead to a rundown bar. He set Nora down on the couch and went to the fridge. 

The dog put his head on the woman's lap, waiting for her to wake up.

"I don't she's gonna get up for a while, buddy." Jack pulled out a Nuka-Cola and popped the cap on the counter. He leaned over the counter, resting his elbows and staring at the woman. "Who are you..?" He asked in a deep voice, sipping his Nuka-Cola.

***

Nora opened her eyes. She felt slight pressure on her chest and a throbbing in her head. Dogmeat lifted his head off her chest and whimpered, his nails clicking on the hard floor as he came to lick Nora's face. She groaned and pushed his head away. She turned her head to the sound of a blowtorch on metal. It came from the next room, with Diamond City radio blaring. 

Nora slowly sat up and looked to a coffee table that had cans of purified water and Pork & Beans. She rubbed her eyes and lightly touched the back of her head, where a large knot had formed. She opened a can of the water, and gulped it down. The blowtorch stopped and she heard a metal sander start up, then stop, and the radio crank up, then start up again.

Nora checked her pockets for anything missing. She noticed the Holotags she picked off the bodies of those Brotherhood Knights were missing. Nora scowled and looked to the next room. Whoever that was stole from her, and she was going to get those tags of her brothers and sisters, even if it killed her.

"Hey! Asshole!" Nora yelled into the next room, covering her ringing ears, regretting the yelling. She heard the machinery shut down and the radio turn down low. 

A head appeared from around a corner with a set of welding goggles and a surgical mask. It was positively terrifying for Nora. But she held her ground.

"Where are my holotags?" She growled to the man as the rest of his body slowly shuffled out the doorway.

The man pulled his mask down, "About them... I used a few of them to repair your pistol. It got cracked from the fall." he grabbed the pistol and ran his fingers over his work and then walked over to Nora and sat down, putting the pistol on the table. The man put his hand in his jacket pocket and pulled out a set of holotags. "I didn't use these." He handed them to Nora.

Nora took the tags, "Why are you helping me?" 

"Because you needed help." The man offered his hand, "Jack."

"Nora." Nora took his hand with a smile.

Jack stood up, "Well, Nora, go back to sleep. Get yourself healed up." he put his goggles on his forehead and walked back into the workspace, turning the radio back on.

Nora watched him before laying back again. She sighed and stared at the roof for awhile before dosing off.

When Nora woke up, it was dark outside. it was eerily quiet. She felt much better, and found a fresh supply of medical items on the coffee table. A sloppy written note was placed on the edge, reading, "Take what you need". Nora took a few of the supplies and left.


	12. Kellogg

At about daybreak, she arrived at Diamond City. Traveling at night is extremely quiet and uneventful. The guards told her to head on inside, as per usual. She headed straight for Valentine's Agency.

"It's been a while, Nora. Why don't you sit down and we can get started." Nick greeted her and sat down on the opposite side of a desk, Ellie stood to his left with a clipboard.

"Sorry about that... I had some unfinished business." Nora sat down.

"All right. Now, I need you to tell me every detail on when your son was taken. No matter how painful. Whenever you're ready." Nick lit a cigarette.

"I was in the Vault, frozen in some pod... Nate was directly across from me, with Shaun." Nora sighed, "Uh, we woke up at one point... I saw a woman in a strange suit and a man with a gun." Nora looked away from Nick, "He's the one who shot my husband."

"Did you get a good look at either of them?" Nick puffed on his cigarette, leaning closer to Nora.

"Yeah, the man walked right up to me and said I was, 'the Backup'." Nora shrugged.

"What did he look like? Any specific facial features that stood out to you?" Ellie wrote everything down quickly.

"He had a long scar across his left eye and he was bald." Nora said excitedly, believing Nick was on to something.

"No... I-It couldn't be." Nick leaned back and put his cigarette out.

Nora looked intently at Nick, "Who? Who is he?" 

"Kellogg." Nick turned to Ellie, "Ellie, what records do we have on Kellogg?"

"Mercenary work, murders, kidnappings, etc... he fits the bill." Ellie looked down to Nick.

"Well, you must have seen him with my son? Someone must have..."

"Yes... Last I saw him, he was with a ten year old boy." Nick thought a moment.

"That can't be Shaun. He was less than a year old when he was taken." Nora shook her head, "Maybe another kidnapped kid?" she shrugged.

"Maybe... but still," Nick turned to Ellie, "Doesn't Kellogg have a house here in Diamond City?"

"Yes... He bought it here a while ago. No one has seen him for a long time however." Ellie shrugged and walked away, clipboard in hand. "It's right up the walkway by the Dugout Inn."

Nick stood up, "Maybe we should pay old Kellogg a visit then, shouldn't we?" he looked down to Nora.

"I'd have it no other way." Nora stood up as well and followed Nick out.

Nick started up the grate stairs behind the Dugout, "I don't know what we're going to find once we get inside, so be ready for anything."

Nora grabbed her switchblade as Nick started to break into Kellogg's house. After his fourth Bobbi pin broke, he confronted Nora.

"I can't break it. See if you can get that door open." Nick pointed at the door and handed Nora his screwdriver, "I'll keep watch." he walked over to the edge of the grate patio and looked out, lighting a cigarette.

Nora bent down, sticking the screwdriver in the lock, then bending the Bobbi pin to fit the lock. She listened to the clicking of the pins, and slowly turned it to the right. It caught on something, so she quickly released it. Nora tried again. She listened for more clicking, then turned the lock. The Bobbi pin cracked. They are more brittle than they were 210 years ago... She dug into the lock with the screwdriver and removed the broken piece. Nora sighed, grabbing one out of her messy hair. 

After three more tries, "Nick... I can't get it." she stood up as he faced her.

"Not a problem." Nick thought for a moment before pointing to a glass room above the entrance to Diamond City, "See that? That's the Mayor's office. He's got a key for every place in Diamond City. So he's got a copy of Kellogg's. Just go up there by the elevator, and either talk his secretary into giving you the key, or steal it. Up to you." he shrugged.

Nora nodded, "All right. I'll be back with the key then..." she started down the stairs and headed to the Elevator; Dogmeat right on her heel.

***

"You've got to understand!" Nora pleaded with Geneva, the Mayor's secretary. "If I don't get this key, I'll never find my son. Do you really want to be the person everyone knows as the woman who condemned a child to death-or worse?"

"I'm sorry, miss. I can't just give you the house key to a resident. It's beyond my privileges." Geneva stood up with a file in hand, "I'd be known as the woman who gave out a house key like it was nothing-and no one would be able to trust me. Then I'd be fired on the spot." She walked passed Nora, "If you will excuse me, I must speak with the Mayor." 

Nora slammed her hand on the desk, "Damn it!" she let her forehead touch the end of the table as she sunk down. "I didn't want to have to do this... but screw it." Nora looked behind her, then ahead. The Diamond City guard just walked into the Mayor's office and shut the door. Nora crept around the desk and yanked on the drawers. Locked tight.

Nora looked around the desk for a release, there were no locks. She looked under the desk, and found a button. She had to try it. *Click* The desk drawer popped open. Nora checked around her again. She sifted through keys, labeled with names. "John & Cathy", "Myrna", "Arturo", "Kellogg". She snatched the keys and shut the drawer. 

Nora climbed onto the elevator and leaned on the edge, looking over the city. Green clouds accumulated over the bright stadium. Slow green lightning struck in the distance, sending her Geiger counter clicking. Rumbling static rang across the city. She clicked the call button, sending her down. Hot rain pattered her suit, and as she looked up, it burned her face. Radiation rain. Nora jumped off the elevator before it touched ground, and ran to Kellogg's house. It was raining hard now. She raised her shoulders and kept her head down. 

"Nick? I got the key." Nora said, running up to the door and unlocking it. 

"You can never tell with these Rad storms." Nick looked up as he lit another cigarette.

"Never tell what?" Nora asked, pushing the door open. 

"When they are going to pop up. Completely random as well as quick." Nick looked over to her sitting in the doorway. "Nothing to worry about, I assure you. It's just hot water. Cooked up in the clouds." He put his pack of cigarettes in his trench coat pocket, "You're Geiger counter isn't clicking, is it?"

Nora looked down to her Pip-Boy and tapped the little glass gauge next to the screen, "No, it's not." she looked back up to Nick, who was right in front of her.

"You learn something new every day, kid. Let's see what there is to find in here." Nick waited for Nora to turn around and walk in before following behind her. 

 

Nick threw his cigarette out the door, "Look for anything out of place. Switches, levers, buttons." he walked over to a wall and ran his hands over each point where the metal wall plates touched.

Nora walked over to a desk. She thought maybe it may be like Geneva's desk and have a small switch or button. She checked under the desk, by the drawers. Low and behold, a button. "Got it!" Nora eagerly said, clicking the button. It opened to a room Nick was right in front of.

"Well, would you lookie here. All a Mercenary's favorite things..." Nick walked in and took a look around. 

Nora stood at the entrance of the room, gawking. 

Nick chuckled, "Well, don't just stand there... Take what you want. I'm sure Kellogg won't mind." he took a pack of cigarettes and a gold plated flip lighter. 

Nora opened a gun sack and found a scoped 308. sniper rifle. She slung it over her shoulder and picked up all the ammo she could find. Nora planned on trading the rounds she didn't use for rounds she did.

"San Francisco Sunlights' and Gwinnet Stout bottles everywhere." Nick picked up a bottle with his robotic hand, "I bet we could let your dog get Kellogg's scent with all these cigar buds." Nick said quickly, picking up a bud and handing it to Nora.

Nora took it as Dogmeat whimpered. "Okay boy, I need to use your nose. See if you can't get Kellogg's scent boy." She bent down to him as he sniffed and barked, darting out into the clearing rain. 

Nick looked to Nora, "Looks like he got it. We'd better not lose him... after you!"

Nora darted after Dogmeat, who barked and howled. He was on the hunt. They ran right through the market. Nora crashed right into a woman with a bowl of noodles, spilling them all over herself and the woman. Nora dare not stop, or she may lose Dogmeat. "Sorry! Sorry!" Nora put her hands out to the woman and continued running.

"What the hell lady! Watch where you're going!" The woman sighed over her spilled noodles.

"'Ey, Nicky! You traveling with that?" A Diamond City guard asked as Nick ran by.

"Can't talk, sorry, Martin. On a case!" Nick yelled back to the guard.

Dogmeat howled and barked running passed guards and out of the city. 

"Keep your eyes open, we're headed into Raider territory." Nick ran up close behind Nora and said quietly. He examined the rundown buildings carefully.

Nora looked around the outside of the ruin as Dogmeat stopped at a puddle with a flipped chair. On the chair rested an ashtray and a San Francisco Sunlights. He smelled it, wagging his tail.

"Good boy. But he's not here. See if you can get another trace, boy." Nora picked up the cigar and held it to Dogmeat's nose. He smelled the ground for a moment before taking off down the road and taking a sharp turn to the left, following some train tracks.

Molerats jumped up from the tracks, throwing themselves at the group. Nora grabbed her switchblade and threw herself at one trying to get at Dogmeat. She stabbed it repeatedly until another threw itself on Nora. Nick shot it with his pipe revolver. Dogmeat threw himself on the last, biting at its throat. 

Dogmeat smelled the tracks again, taking off towards an underpass. 

Once they reached the underpass, Nora stopped for a breath. Dogmeat pointed to a mess of bloodied rags on a handle.

"I hate running." Nora said, resting her hands on her knees.

"The friction in my knee joints is generating quite a bit of heat. Let me do a diagnostics check. Watch my back." Nick stood motionless.

"Do a what?" Nora panted, looking up to Nick. "Hello? Do a what?" She sat up and looked into his yellow eyes, "Anyone home?" she waved an arm in front of his face and shrugged, looking back to Dogmeat, "I think I broke him, buddy."

Nick blinked, "Okay. Did I miss anything?" 

"Nick! I've been sitting here for 4 hours. I was thinking about either carrying you on my back or leaving you with a note, 'Found Kellogg, got Shaun, don't need you anymore.'." Nora said dramatically and jokingly.

"Ha, ha, very funny. My sensors say I wasn't even gone 5 minutes." Nick lit a cigarette.

"Yeah I know. Let's go." Nora walked over to Dogmeat and picked up the Gwinnet Stout that was left over, drinking from it and taking the bloodied rags for Dogmeat. Nora winced when she gulped down what was left of the Stout. 

"Did... you think that was a good idea? That stuff has probably been out here roasting in the sun for days." Nick scowled and puffed on his cigarette.

"No." Nora dropped the bottle and stuck her tongue out. Dogmeat ran off to the open road, and onto a bridge. 

***

Ferals jumped out from inside some of the broken down cars on the bridge, throwing themselves at the group. Nora grabbed her laser pistol and shot at the Ghoul at her feet. She saw Nick beating one off his arm with his pistol. Dogmeat yelped, catching Nora's attention. She fired the pistol from the hip, killing it after three shots.

"Everyone all right?" Nick yelled from the back of the group.

"Everyone's upright up here. You?" Nora nodded back to Nick.

"Yeah. I'm good. But there goes our tour guide." Nick pointed to the shrinking dog. 

"Crap!" Nora took off after him, only to stop at a sparking box. From a closer examination, there was a broken robot's head on the top of the box, and it's body propped up against the box.

"Damn. Hell of a party went on here." Nick said, putting his pistol away.

Nora looked back at him and bent down to the robot. "What have we here?" She read the tag on the robot's chest piece, "Assaultron..."

"Error. System corrupt. I can't feel my legs." The Assaultron's voice fuzzed and glitched.

"What happened here?" Nora asked, slightly saddened by the Assaultron's remark. 

"Error. Operator deceased. Threat level Omega. He... killed us." The Assaultron sounded genuinely sad.

"We're still on track. Hopefully he's not too much further." Nick said, pulling out a screwdriver and tightening some of his finger joints.

Nora looked slightly passed the Assaultron, to another San Francisco Sunlights. "Another one of his stogies." Nora whispered to Dogmeat, holding the cigar to his nose.

Dogmeat howled, running off through the woods.

Nora stood up and grabbed Nick's coat. He was facing the wrong way and lighting a cigarette. Nick let out a startled yell as she yanked him towards her, causing him to drop his lighter and quickly turn around to follow Nora.

Dogmeat stopped at a broken rusty fence, with bloody rags hanging on a bent section. Beyond the fence was a small town. She pulled the rags off the fence and offered them to Dogmeat. He smelled them carefully and sniffed the ground before taking off to a tightly knit cluster of buildings. 

Dogmeat ran up to the front of a fort. Fort Hagen. Nora slowly walked closer to the fort, before being tackled by a Raider. 

"Whoa whoa!" Nick yelled, pulling out his pipe pistol. 

The Raider wore what looked like cloaks piled up, chains wrapped around his limbs, and chunks of metal and metal spikes attached to his shoulders, chest, and legs. He wore a green helmet, it looked like a gas mask, but the tubes went across the mouth. The Raider wore gloves and had a small switchblade. He raised his switchblade the brought it down on Nora. She blocked it with her arm, using her free hand to punch the Raider off her. He rolled off her, slightly grabbing his face. Nora ripped the blade out of her arm. If it had hit her two inches to the right, the Raider would have stabbed her Pip-Boy.

Two beeps were heard, and then a deep ticking. The Raider's armour was pierced with a barrage of bullets, blood spraying after every wound. He screamed in pain, until he stopped moving. Nick didn't move an inch. He was right in range of the turret. 

"I... can't... move..." Nick motioned with his eyes to the turret on the roof and whispered, "Get that with your sniper rifle. You can shoot it right? The rifle I mean?" He turned to Nora as carefully as he could.

Nora nodded and slipped the rifle off her back, loading it. She kneeled on one knee, steadying herself by placing her left arm on her left knee. She aimed at the turret, through the scope. For the life of her, Nora couldn't keep the gun still. She crept an inch to the left just to be sure. Nora held her breath and placed her finger over the trigger. 

The shot echoed across the area. A deep thunderous boom. The turret exploded, sending pieces everywhere, as well as causing a small fire on the roof.

Nick sighed and put his pistol away. "Nice shot. It looks like Dogmeat found the entrance, but it's blocked off. There's got to be another way in." Nick said, walking up to the barricade.

Nora examined her stab wound, wrapping a rag around it. It was bleeding pretty bad, but she didn't have a Stimpak. She clicked the safety on her rifle and dropped it next to her. That Raider took a lot of heat from that turret... Nora bent down to the Raider and took his helmet off, revealing his bloodied face. She started taking his armor off, slipping it over her Vault suit. 

"Hey are you-" Nick saw Nora stepping into the armor, "What are you doing?" he slightly chuckled.

"That Raider took a lot of heat. I'm gonna use his armor. Who knows what we're gonna face in there." Nora grunted as she lifted it to come over her shoulders, like a body suit. "This thing weighs more than I had hoped..." She picked up the gas mask and her guns, putting on the mask. After the mask was over her head, she retched. She gagged and coughed, throwing it off her head. Her face was twisted into a horrid scowl.

Nick had an idea on why she was in such a state, so he smiled.

"Why didn't you tell me that was going to smell worse than death?!" Nora leaned down on her knees, heaving and spitting on the ground.

Nick chuckled, "I thought you might've known this already. Raider's don't bathe often." He smiled again.

Nora walked up to Nick with her face still twisted in disgust. Dogmeat whimpered as she looked over the barrier.

Nora looked down to Dogmeat and patted his head, "Good boy. Why don't you go back to Red Rocket, buddy. Take a well deserved break." Dogmeat barked and took off.

Nick watched him run off, "I guess he was done..." He lit a cigarette, "Let's see if there's another way into this place." He puffed on his cigarette and started walking to the left. Nora followed behind after collecting her last two guns.

Before Nora got to Nick, she heard two beeps, then bullets hitting concrete. "Nick? Are you all right?" She yelled and ducked around a corner. 

"Yeah!" Nick shouted below her. "Hey! While the turret is focused on me, why don't you shoot it!" He fired a few shots at the turret, which looked like they came from underground. Nora grabbed the sniper rifle slung over her shoulder and clicked the safety off, reloading.

She quickly spun around the corner and aimed at the turret. She fired, missing horribly. Nora looked through the scope, watching her target move up and down, in big ovals. She couldn't hold the gun up. Nora scoffed, "Don't be a wuss..." She reloaded and scoped again. She held her breath and felt her arm quiver. She fired, causing another large explosion. "There we go..." Nora shook her hand and slung her rifle over her shoulder. She rushed down the small set of stairs to Nick.

They both walked together, passing a dead scavenger and heading through a door at the end of the parking garage. Through the door, they found they were outside again. A small motor could be heard above the garage exit. Stairs lead up to Nick and Nora's left; not where they wanted to go. Right before the stairwell was a door. Nora opened it carefully, checking around. Nick walked on, looking around.

"Hey, Nick. I think I got our entrance." Nora whispered, waving her hand to him. She pulled out her laser pistol and slowly crept into the room; door shutting quietly behind her.


	13. Reunions

Nick rushed through the door after Nora. "Nora? Nora!" He whispered loudly, ducking down low.

"Nick, I'm over here. We've got company." Nora said normally, kicking a broken Synth she blew up.

"I'm not surprised. Let's get further down. We'll find him." Nick said, pulling out his pipe pistol. Nora readied her laser pistol and quickly crept down the stairwell through the broken wall with Nick. "I'd be careful. You barely missed a tripwire back there." Nick tapped Nora on the back and pointed to the grenades hanging from the roof.

Nora nodded as she heard a light rhythmic clanking. It sounded like footsteps. Slowly she peeked her head around the corner. There were two Synths at the bottom of the stairs, with their backs to her. She grabbed her sniper rifle and reloaded as slowly and quietly as possible. a shell popped out of the chamber. It was almost slow motion watching it fall. Right before it hit the ground, Nick caught it. Nora looked at him with wide eyes as he shook his head.

"That gun of yours is the loudest thing I have ever heard." Nick whispered extremely quiet, pointing to her laser pistol.

Nora nodded and flipped around the corner. She aimed, fired, and missed. The larger of the two Synths looked to his fallen comrade, then to the top of stairs.

"Is someone present?" The Synth asked in a deep robotic voice. 

Nora heard slow footsteps up the stairs and felt Nick's hand on her shoulder. He held a Stealth-Boy in his other hand. With his thumb and index finger on the activation knob, he waited until the last minute to turn it.

"Why do you hide? Do you fear death?" The Synth asked, stopping right in front of where Nora and Nick were at. Nora couldn't see her own arm, but she saw enough to know where it was pointing. Her pistol aimed at the Synth. She squeezed the trigger many times, causing the Synth to stagger and spark. The Synth stopped moving and shorted out, dropping its gun and falling back against the stairs. 

Nick's hand removed from her shoulder and they both became visible again. Nora still had her hand extended towards the broken Synth. Her heart pounded in her chest.

"For some reason, these things scare me..." Nora whispered, slowly standing up and taking the fusion cells off the Synths.

"You aren't afraid of me, are you?" Nick asked, looking down to the Synth.

"Not at all. It's the mindless ones that have those creepy voices and are missing their lower jaw; like that one." Nora pointed down to the Synth at the bottom of the stairs. 

"Right... Um, we should keep looking." Nick said, frowning slightly at the Synth. He walked passed her, down the stairs. He pulled out his gun again and snuck around the corner. Nora rushed after him.

They entered a room that had a terminal. A turret was whirring from a hole in the wall. Two Synths stood ahead, one facing Nora and Nick, and the other facing an elevator. 

The Synth noticed them almost immediately after they set foot in the doorway. "Engaging hostiles." It said, getting the other's attention.

"I have just received a directive from Kellogg: Kill the intruders." The other said, turning around and firing at Nick and Nora.

Nick jumped behind the wall, dragging Nora along with him. 

"What's the plan?" Nora asked, picking herself up. 

"I was just about to ask you that. You're in charge here." Nick said, loading his gun. 

"Okay... I say one of us go through this wall and barrage them from behind. Then while they're focused over there, the other will get them from this point; shooting them in the back." Nora reloaded her laser pistol and looked at the small bloody spot on her left arm. 

Nick nodded, "That's... a really good idea." he agreed, standing up and offering a hand to Nora. "I can get them from behind if you want to distract? Just a suggestion; since you have a sniper rifle, that may come in handy." Nick shrugged, "Up to you."

Nora nodded, "Sounds great." she took off through the hole in the wall and found a hole facing the Synths. She put the barrel of her rifle through the wall and rested it on a broken piece of pipe. She aimed and fired quickly, for effect. 

The two Synths spun around and watched her. They started firing at her, hitting what was left of the wall. Nora shot one in the head, sending it into a cloud of sparks and smoke. 

Nick crept up behind the other with a sledgehammer. Nora saw him lift it slightly, then swing it to the left. It crushed the Synth's side and sent it into the wall. It sparked, pulling itself out of the wall, Nick raised the hammer and brought it down on the Synth's head. It crushed, sparking and fizzing. 

Nick tossed the hammer to the side as Nora pulled her rifle out of the wall and headed over to him. She slung her rifle over her shoulder and walked up to the terminal, careful not to trip the fragmentation mine at her feet. A caged armory sat next to the elevator; most likely the reason for the terminal.

"I can help you with that if need be?" Nick asked after hearing three beeps from the computer. 

Nora clicked once more on a pass code. *Beep* Init Lockout. "Yeah... That'd be great." Nora said, stepping over the mine and then disarming it.

Nick stepped up to the terminal, talking to himself. "No... that's not right. Where the hell did they come up with that one... Ah! Here it is." He leaned back and clicked the enter key. The door to the armory opened up. 

Nora patted his back and walked into the small armory. She found a combat shotgun with explosive bullets. "Yes please..." Nora took them and put them in a bandolier that was holding an assortment of rounds. She strapped it across her chest, then strapped a smaller one around her leg. Nick came up behind her and opened a medical kit.

"I saw you get stabbed. Here." Nick handed her a Stimpak. 

Nora looked at the Stimpak and then to Nick. "Thanks." She took it with a smile and injected it into her heart.   
***  
"I think our destination is down." Nick said, pointing at the elevator.

Nora nodded in agreement, clicking the elevator call button. The elevator dinged, opening up. Nora and Nick shuffled in, clicking the down button.

"Kzzzlt Floor." the elevator fizzed, opening the doors to the basement. Nora and Nick carefully walked out, guns ready. Up ahead was a long hallway; most likely filled with surprises. 

"We got another armory here. Looks like it's mostly got medical supplies." Nick looked inside in the gate.

"Leave it. I just want to get this over with." Nora said anxiously, sneaking down to the hallway. "I have the three Stimpaks you gave me, some Med-X and Buffout, and Psycho. I think we'll be okay." 

Nick shrugged and followed behind Nora. 

"Didn't think I'd ever see you again. Last time I saw you, you where cuddling up to the peas and carrots." Kellogg's voice loomed over an intercom. 

Nora stopped dead in her tracks. She scowled and continued slowly along. She stopped behind a laundry cart with metal boxes inside. She grabbed her rifle and set it on the edge of the cart and searched for anything ahead. 

Up ahead was a turret and three mean-looking Synths. One was covered head to armor, and another had a huge laser rifle. The other was a normal scrap-pile. 

Nora shot the turret, causing an explosion that killed two of the three Synths. The one who survived was the one covered in armor.

"Eliminating targets." The Synth said, taking the rifle off the broken Synth and scanned the area.

Nora reloaded, letting the shell clatter to the ground. It caught the Synth's attention; just as Nora had hoped. The Synth stormed towards Nora, scoped and ready to fire. Nora scoped and fired before the Synth got close enough. The Synth's head was thrown back and his legs went up in the air. The glass eye piece on his helmet was broken on the right side, and it's eye was sparking.

Nora kicked it slightly before slinging her rifle over her shoulder and continuing down the twisty hallway. Nick followed close behind her, watching her back. 

"Look, I'm sorry you woke up and found your house in ruins... but I don't need a roommate. Just leave." Kellogg's voice came over the intercom again.

"We must be getting close..." Nick whispered, reloading his gun.

Up ahead was a door. Nora was careful to open it. 

"I'm giving you the chance to leave. I don't do that often, but you've made it this far, so I'll give you that. I'll be honest; I thought the Waste would chew you up like jerky." Kellogg's voice appeared once again. Nora opened the door.

A bed was to Nora and Nick's right, and a dresser and side table. To their left was a table with chairs. Nora kept walking straight ahead, to another set of doors. 

"Okay, fine. I get it. You won't leave. I'm just in the room ahead. I've deactivated my Synths. Let's talk." Kellogg said over the intercom with a sigh.

Nora scowled and stood up, kicking the doors open. She had her shotgun ready and aimed. A gate awaited her at the bottom of a narrow set of stairs. The door opened and she stormed down the stairs, ignoring Nick in the background.

"Nora, I don't think-" Nick tried holding her back, but failed.

Kellogg came from around a wall of computers, hands up. He wore the clothes Nora remembered, and that gun. The revolver. He had it raised up in the air in surrender. "I just want to talk." Kellogg pleaded with Nora as two Synths accompanied him.

"You... I shouldn't even give you that privilege. You killed my husband and stole my son. You deserve what's coming. Where is my son! Where is Shaun!?" Nora yelled, cocking her shotgun.

"He's not here. But I know where he is." Kellogg put his hands down.

"Well? Don't leave us in suspense! Where is he?!" Nora spat; her face twisted into a scowl.

"I think you have an idea where he may be." Kellogg stalled.

"Fine..." Nora stood straight up and taunted Kellogg. "So where is this 'Institute' then. And how do I get inside."

"Don't you get it? There is no way into the Institute. You can't get inside." Kellogg smirked.

"Screw you, Kellogg." Nora shot the Synth to his left, then right. 

Kellogg ran behind a section of computers in the middle of the room. He shot at Nora with his revolver. Nora hid behind the first row of computers. She grabbed her laser pistol as Nick joined her.

Nick slammed into the desk next to her, "Need some help?" He yelled over the gunfire.

Nora looked back to him with teary eyes, then back to Kellogg. She crept out from behind the desk and over to the middle section where Kellogg was while Nick distracted him with gunfire.

Before Nora could move further, she heard a hammer click right behind her.

"Damn. You know, I never wanted it to be this way. You could've just left me alone." Kellogg said regretfully before pulling the trigger. 

Nora fell face first into the ground. She coughed, blood trickling out of her mouth. She felt a growing pain in the middle of her chest, and a wet warmth. Kellogg stood above her for a few moments, before turning away. Nora flipped on her back, breathing heavily and choking on her own blood. Is this the end? Nora ripped her spiked armor and jabbed her fingers deep into her wound. She cried out, gasping and choking. 

Kellogg stopped, turning back to her slightly. He turned all the way around and watched her cry out and jab her fingers deeper into her chest. "God. You're a sick woman. I was going to sit here and watch you die, but I don't think I can anymore." Kellogg spit on the ground. 

Nora slowly pulled out the 44. round. Her hand shook as more blood ran down her cheeks. She smiled to Kellogg, her teeth stained red. In her left hand was a Stimpak. Nora stabbed it into her chest as Kellogg's face dropped. He drew his gun, but was disarmed by Nick. Kellogg spun and punched Nick in the face, sending him to the ground. Kellogg looked on the ground where Nora was and looked for his gun. Both were missing.

Kellogg heard a familiar hammer click, and a cold barrel at the back of his neck. Slowly he raised his hands and turned around. Nora's bloodied face awaited him, twisted into a scowl. 

"The tables have turned, it seems." Kellogg smirked, his hands still raised. "I still can't-" He was cut short as a shot was fired. He stared straight at Nora, a small hole in his forehead. Blood ran down his forehead, trailing to the left of his nose and over his lips. Kellogg's arms fell to his sides, and he fell to his knees. Nora looked down to him, who was somehow still looking at her. She kept her head up as she kicked him sideways. 

***

"Well, that went better than I expected..." Nick said after they entered an elevator going up and out. "I guess I don't know why you kept his clothes. Or that piece of his brain..." he cleared his throat. "Wait. I just had an idea. There's a doctor in a place called Goodneighbor, and she works at a place called the Memory Den. If we can get to her with the brain, maybe she can search his memories for the way into the Institute." The elevator door opened.

"It's not a-" Nora was cut short as a huge zeppelin loomed over. Vertibirds dropped off the ports and escorted the zeppelin.

"People of the Commonwealth. Do not be afraid. Do not interfere. We are here to help. We... are the Brotherhood of Steel." A voice echoed across the sky.

"Look at that beast." Nick said, looking from the roof and squinting at the writing on the side.

"-bad idea..." Nora took a breath and turned to Nick. "The Paladin never told me we had a zeppelin..." She said with a frown.

Nick lit a cigarette and looked back up to the zeppelin, turning to Nora and pointing at it with his thumb, "Friends of yours?"

"I guess... If they are the BOS, then yeah." Nora shrugged checking around the roof for a way down.

"The 'boss'?" Nick asked her and followed.

"Yeah, that's what we call it for short. The Brotherhood of Steel that is." Nora sat on the edge of the roof and jumped off onto a lower roof.

Nick jumped down next to her, "Right... If you want to talk to them, be my guest. If you'll just give me the brain piece, I'll take it to Doctor Amari." he puffed on his cigarette and held his hand out.

"Are you sure?" Nora asked, giving him the brain piece and curious of the way Nick was looking at her.

"Yeah, There's no rush... but, you look like you may or may not have eaten someone..." Nick handed her a handkerchief. 

Nora took it and searched the roof for some type of puddle. Sure enough, there was one by a set of stairs leading into the parking garage. Nora bent down to the puddle, looking into it. Her lips were bright red, and lines of blood trailed from her mouth to her ears. They were semi dried and gooey. She dipped the handkerchief into the puddle and started scrubbing the blood off her face silently.

"I'm going to go see who runs this show." Nora said to Nick, still facing the puddle. 

"Yeah, you do that. I'll be in Goodneighbor." Nick patted Nora's shoulder and walked down the stairs. He waved his hand around. "I'll meet you in the Memory Den."  
Nora raised a hand and sat back. She tossed the hanky to the side and pulled out Kellogg's revolver. Nora looked it over, noting it's heavy weight and ported barrel. She popped the cylinder, counting the 4 rounds left. She shook the gun to the left, popping the cylinder back in place. Nora stood up and put it in the holster on Kellogg's belt.


	14. The Prydwen

Nora heard her radio click as she leaned up against the Fort. It was almost midnight, and she was lulling off to sleep. It was the third time her radio has clicked, notifying her a station has been discovered. She finally clicked it on.

"Members of the Brotherhood of Steel, rally at the Cambridge Police Station for transport to the Prydwen." It was Paladin Danse. Nora listened to his voice on the broadcast over and over. She heard the radio click off, and she closed her eyes.

***

Nora threw open the doors to the Police station, startling the Paladin and a two pilot looking BoS members. "Oh, sorry... I didn't mean to startle you all..." Nora smirked.

"Would you look at who it is. Ready to head up to the Prydwen?" Paladin Danse folded his arms and looked down to Nora.

"Is that what you call that beast over there..." Nora thought sarcastically for a moment, "Hell yes. Take me to her!" Nora threw her arms wide.

"Outstanding." The Paladin pointed at the two chuckling pilots. "These are our Lancers, "Matthews and Rich. They will be taking us by Vertibird to the Prydwen." Both the Lancers waved and saluted to Nora.

"Good to meet you two. Shall we?" Nora motioned up the stairs to the roof of the Police Station. The two Lancers cleared their throats and talked over each other, stumbling to get to the roof.

"What's up with them?" Nora whispered to Paladin Danse.

"What's up with you? I haven't seen you act like this since you joined up with us." Paladin Danse stomped up the stairs.

"I'm one more step closer to finding Shaun. Honestly, this should be the last. Oh, and I slept better last night than I have since I left the Vault." Nora ran up the stairs after him.

They both were silent until they boarded the Vertibird. "That minigun is loaded and ready to fire." One Lancer shouted back to Nora.

Nora eagerly climbed behind the minigun and held on as they started taking off.

"Use the minigun whenever enemies are in range. Watch your fire, we don't want any stray bullets hitting civilians." Paladin Danse yelled to Nora, standing in the back of the Bird, to Nora's left. "When we get aboard, let me do all the talking. Follow my lead." 

Nora okayed the Paladin, checking out the front of the Bird to see where they were. Almost there.

Nora jumped down off the Bird and moved out of the way for the Paladin, "Thanks for the ride boys!" Nora waved to the Lancers and followed after Paladin Danse. The Lancers waved back and finished shutting the Bird down.

"Nora, this is the Lancer-Captain, Kells. He runs the Prydwen." Paladin Danse introduced Nora and stepped to the side.

"So this is the initiate you were so energized to introduce to us... She doesn't look like much to me." The Lancer-Captain looked up and down Nora with a scoff.

"Looks can be deceiving, Captain." Nora looked blankly at Captain Kells.

"In your case, I sure hope so." Lancer-Captain Kells growled and turned to Paladin Danse. "Paladin, Elder Maxson is on the Bridge. He's waiting for you and your little friend here." 

"Thank you sir." Paladin Danse saluted the Captain and walked passed Nora. 

Nora started to follow, but was stopped as a hand grabbed her shoulder. "Remember where you are initiate. You're going to have to prove yourself to the Elder now. No more light work. I hope you are better than you look..." The Captain explained, saluting to her.

"I will sir. Thank you." Nora saluted back, realizing the Lancer-Captain isn't so bad after all.

A Knight in power armor guarded a door leading inside the Prydwen. He was armed with a minigun. The Knight nodded to Nora as she walked through the door. Inside was a thick ladder going up and down, stairs leading down to a control center, and a man straight ahead, giving a speech to a group of men and women.

Paladin Danse was to her left, waiting for Elder Maxson to finish so he could introduce Nora.

The Elder only took a few more moments before dismissing the group. Paladin Danse walked right up to Elder Maxson, saluting.

"Elder. It's good to see you again." Paladin Danse smiled slightly.

"Likewise, Paladin. And this must be the initiate you spoke so highly of." Nora smiled as Elder Maxson looked her over, "She doesn't look like much."

Nora's face dropped, and she blinked slowly, looking over to Paladin Danse. The Paladin chuckled and smiled to her. "Looks can be deceiving, sir." The Paladin winked at Nora.

Elder Maxson squinted at Paladin Danse, grunting. "Anyway Initiate, from the reports I have gotten from our Paladin here, I am naming you Knight from now on. You will receive your own power armor, cot, and supply chest. Congratulations, Knight. Don't make me regret my decision." The Elder frowned slightly.

"Thank you, sir." Nora said happily. 

"As for a first task, I would like you to meet all our Proctors. Proctor Quinlin, Ingram, Teagan, and our ships medical doctor for a checkup. Knight-Captain Cade." The Elder started walking passed the pair of them, "Report to me when you are finished. I'll have another task for you." 

Paladin Danse turned to Nora, "I knew they would like you." 

"They liked me? It sounded like I wasn't much." Nora frowned.

"Well, if you didn't look like much, would you have gotten the position as Knight?" Paladin Danse raised an eyebrow.

"I guess not..." Nora rubbed the back of her neck.

"Mind if I tag along with you? I'd like to keep an eye on you if you don't mind." Paladin Danse cleared his throat and waited for a response. 

Nora shook her head, "Not at all, I have no idea where these people are anyway... I need a guide." She offered a friendly smirk.

"Outstanding." The Paladin started climbing down the stairs, explaining where they are going. "This is the main deck. We have a power armor station, cafeteria, sleeping quarters, and armory. Proctor Quinlin will be the first to meet. Just through here." Paladin Danse pointed to a room right beside the stairs.

 

Nora stepped into the room, scanning the rows of file cabinets. To her left she heard papers shuffle and a grunt. She peered around the cabinets and saw a skinny little man with large glasses shifting through files. He had a longer face and wore a coat. He noticed Nora after she peered around the corner and closed his folder.

"Ah, hello there." Proctor Quinlin walked closer to Nora, "I am Proctor Quinlin. I deal mostly with old world technical documents... and gadgets." He offered Nora his hand.

"Oh, nice to meet you Proctor." Nora took his hand happily, "Nora."

"Yes, yes. You're the new Knight, are you not?" The Proctor waved his hand.

"Yes sir, I am." Nora folded her arms behind her back.

"Wonderful. Well, I have to get back to it... but if you ever find yourself in need of work, stop by me. I'm sure to have something for you." The Proctor offered a friendly smile and reopened his file as Nora left the room.

"That was short and sweet..." Nora looked up to Paladin Danse and shrugged.

"He's not much of a conversationalist." Paladin Danse stomped down the hallway to the cafeteria. "Our next stop is the ships medical doctor, Knight-Captain Cade." He cleared his throat and mumbled, "also your commander..." the Paladin motioned to a room just passed the cafeteria.

Nora walked into the room to see loads of medical supplies, an X-Ray machine, and a man with his back to her, leaning on a table and writing on a clipboard. Nora cleared her throat.

The Knight-Captain turned around and smiled slightly. "Ah, knight! So glad you could join me. Now, let's skip the friendly chatter and get to it, yeah? I'm sure the Elder has work for you..." The Knight-Captain looked over his clipboard, "I'm just going to as you some questions. I'd like you to answer them as best you can." He cleared his throat. 

"Have you ever been diagnosed with a deadly disease?" 

"No." Nora said quickly.

"Have you ever had any serious medical conditions?" He looked at Nora carefully.

"No sir."

Knight-Captain Cade cleared his throat, "This last one is a bit strange to most, but please answer truthfully." he sighed, "Have you ever had relations with a non-human being?"

Nora blushed and raised her eyebrows with a scoff, "Does... that happen often enough for there to be a question?" Nora frowned slightly.

"Believe it or not, yes. I'm going to take your confusion as a no." He wrote all that down and sighed. "All right. You're all set then. Come to me whenever you have a medical problem."

"Okay, thank you Knight-Captain." Nora saluted and left the room.

"Ready to meet Proctor Ingram?" Paladin Danse asked Nora as she came out of the room confused.

"Yeah..." Nora cleared her throat, "Yeah."

"Outstanding." The Paladin stomped through another hall to an area with work benches, power armor stations, and plenty of junk to satisfy any scavver. 

Facing a set of power armor was a woman in a stripped power armor frame. She had no legs.

"Proctor Ingram." Paladin Danse called to the woman and she turned around.

"Paladin Danse." Proctor Ingram smiled slightly to him, "It's great to have you aboard again, soldier."

"It's great to be back, ma'am." Paladin Danse stepped to the side, "This is Knight Nora. The Elder wanted her to meet all our heads, and you were next on the list."

"So this is the new Knight, huh?" Proctor Ingram folded her arms, "She doesn't look like much to me... but looks can be deceiving." she smirked at Nora's straining face. "Anyway, if you ever need help with old war gadgets or your power armor has a few dings, come find me. I'll take care of it."

"Thanks, Proctor Ingram." Nora forced a smile, asking for forgiveness, "If you'll excuse me ma'am, I have to meet with a Proctor Teagan."

"Of course, Knight." Proctor Ingram nodded to Nora as she started walking away, "Keep an eye on that one Paladin... She looks like trouble..." she winked to the Paladin.

"Yes, ma'am." Paladin Danse stomped after Nora, stopping at a wall divider. "Proctor Teagan is right around this corner. He's our armorer."

"Hello, hello!" Proctor Teagan reached over the counter to shake Nora's hand as they approached. "Proctor Teagan. I mostly sell guns and ammo, power armor mods... the usual."

"Hi there." Nora shook his hand, "Why are you in there?" she chuckled.

"Well, I'm the armorer!" Proctor Teagan leaned over the counter, "Between you and me, I think they don't like me very much." he winked to Nora. "Can we do business?"

"Oh, sure. I have a lot of ammo I don't use. I'd like to trade these 38.'s for 308's and or 44.'s." Nora pulled out 4 magazines of 38.'s and removed 13 rounds from her bandolier draped across her chest.

"Well... Aren't you loaded..." Teagan chuckled, pulling out 2 mags of 308.'s and one of 44.'s. "I think this should be enough. Sound far?"

"That's great. Thank you, Proctor." Nora took the mags and put them on her belt.

"No problem, Knight. Stop by any time. We can always use caps." Proctor Teagan chuckled.

"See you around, sir." Nora waved to him and started back to the main deck.

"Well, now that that's done, let's see what the Elder has for us." Paladin Danse stomped after Nora.

"About that... I was right in the middle of finding out how to get into the Institute. I need to meet up with a friend in Goodneighbor." Nora started climbing up the ladder to the command deck.

"I'm sure Elder Maxson will O.K. it. Once he knows what you're going after." The Paladin climbed after her.

Nora pushed a door open that lead to the flight deck. The Knight at the door turned to Nora, "The Elder is waiting for you. Go down the stairs and take a left. He's looking out there."

Nora nodded, "Thanks." she looked out and stepped down the stairs as Paladin Danse stomped close behind her.

Elder Maxson turned at the sound of Paladin Danse stomping, "All set?" he asked Nora.

"Yes, sir... but I have a request." Nora bit her lip slightly.

"Go on." Elder Maxson stood up straight and put his hands behind his back.

"Sir, my son was taken from me. I'm from a Vault; Vault 111. My husband was murdered, and my son stolen. I have just killed the man who stole my boy, and I found out where he is. The Institute." Nora explained, but what cut short when the Elder raised his hand to stop her.

"Did you say the Institute? He's in the Institute?" Elder Maxson raised an eyebrow and leaned in slightly.

"Yes, sir. And my detective friend just found someone who can help us find out how to get into the Institute. I was hoping I could go to him and find out how to get inside. If it's all right with you?" Nora shrugged her shoulders slightly.

"Anything that has to do with the Institute, you bring to me. Thank you for giving me this information, Knight. You may go, but anything you find out, bring to me. Do I make myself clear?" Elder Maxson nodded slightly and waited for Nora's response.

"Yes, sir, you do. Loud and clear." Nora saluted him.

"Danse, I would like you to accompany this Knight and help her with anything she may need." Elder Maxson looked back to the Paladin.

"Gladly, sir." Paladin Danse saluted and waited for Nora.

"You are dismissed. Stay safe out there." Elder Maxson saluted the two of them and turned back to the view.


	15. Goodneighbor

"Hold up there." A man lighting a cigarette stopped Nora. "First time to Goodneighbor? Can't go walking around without insurance."

Nora slowly looked over to him with a blank stare. "You better back off, or you're the one who's going to need insurance." Paladin Danse stepped in the doorway just at the right time.

The man looked back to Paladin Danse, "Whoa, hey, all right. We'll just, uh, say your insurance is paid up for now, okay?" he cautiously glanced at the Paladin before turning to the left slightly.

"Whoa, whoa. Time out." A voice came from the dark alley to their left. The man tossed his cigarette to the side and turned to look at the man appearing. "Someone steps through the gate the first time, they're a guest. You lay off that extortion crap." A Ghoul in a red frock coat with a tricorn hat walked up to the man. 

"What d'you care? She ain't one of us." the man scoffed.

"No love for your mayor, Finn? I said let her go." The Mayor growled to Finn.

"You're soft, Hancock. You keep letting outsiders walk all over us, one day there'll be a new mayor." Finn tried holding his ground.

"Come on, man. This is me we're talking about. Let me tell you something." Hancock walked up to Finn and spread his arms. Slowly his right arm reached behind him, and he pulled out a knife. He repeatedly stabbed Finn, letting him crumble to the ground. 

Nora lifted her foot closest to Finn's bleeding corpse slightly as Hancock sheathed his knife. "Now why'd you have to go and say that, huh? Breaking my heart over here." Hancock growled at Finn.

"Now I know you had ole' Finn handled back there, but a mayor's gotta make a point sometimes. You all right?" Hancock offered Nora friendly smile. 

Nora blushed slightly, she thought the Ghoul was somewhat cute. In a strange way... "Oh... I'm fine. Thanks for taking care of him."

"Good. Don't let this incident taint your view of our little community. Goodneighbor's of the people, for the people, you feel me? Everyone's welcome." Hancock looked up to Paladin Danse, whose face was twisted in disgust.

"Yeah. I feel you." Nora brushed some hair behind her ear shyly and smiled.

"Good. You stay cool, and you'll be part of the neighborhood. So long as you remember who's in charge." Hancock winked to her, turning slowly and walking away.

Nora kept her eyes on Hancock, a slight smile drawn across her lips.

"Ahem..." Paladin Danse coughed dramatically and pulled his cloth hood off, revealing his perfect hair.

Nora looked up to him and blushed again covering her face and storming up to a vendor stand run by an Assaultron. "Do you know where the Memory Den is?" Nora leaned on the counter, trying to clear her head of all the thoughts she was having.

"Sure, baby. Go to your left and take another left. You'll see the big beautiful glowing sign standing tall, baby." The Assaultron told Nora with a seductive voice.

Nora squinted slightly and thanked the robot. "Aren't you an Assaultron?"

The Assaultron put her arms down on the counter, "That's what my makers called me. But as far as I'm concerned, I'm a woman. And I run a store that sells very large guns."

Nora smiled, "I like you. Got a name?" she sat up.

"Kl-E-0. Or 'Kleo'." Kleo took her arms off the counter.

"Well, Kleo, expect to see me again for some ammo restocks." Nora tapped the counter with her knuckles.

"Come by anytime, smooth talker. I'm sure I've got something you're interested in." Kleo shifted behind the counter as Nora left.

"God, this place makes me sick." Paladin Danse stomped after Nora, glancing slightly to a woman in a gas mask and slacks.

"Yeah, it smells horrible." Nora turned the corner and spotted the large glowing sign.

"I wasn't talking about the smell, Knight. These... monsters are everywhere." Paladin Danse growled, frowning at a Ghoul with an SMG to their left.

"Well, that wasn't very nice. Ghouls are people too, you know." Nora turned to the Paladin and frowned.

A Ghoul sitting on a bench next to them reading the Boston Bugle looked up to her, "You're blocking my light doll." he chuckled deeply.

Nora looked down to him and before she could say anything, Paladin Danse groaned and walked passed her. Nora thought a moment before turning and running after Paladin Danse.

The Paladin pushed open the doors and stomped in, standing to the side so Nora could pass. "I don't know where your man is, so after you."

"Thanks." Nora walked up the stairs, towards Nick, who was talking to a woman on a couch.

"Well, well. Mister Valentine. I thought you had forgotten about little ole' me." The woman said to Nick.

"I may have walked out of the Den, Irma, but I'd never walk out on you." Nick said with his back to Paladin Danse and Nora.

"Alari's downstairs, you big flirt." Irma chuckled under her breath. She looked back to Nora, getting Nick to turn around.

Paladin Danse pushed Nora behind him, "Synth! Watch your fire!" he reached for his laser pistol as Nora struggled to get past his arm.

Nick fumbled for his pipe pistol as Nora jumped out between the two.

"Whoa, whoa!" Nora held both her hands out to each of them. She looked to Paladin Danse, "Put the gun away, Paladin. This is my man." Nora kept her eyes on the Paladin.

"Knight, step aside. That is no man. It's a machine that has no right to live." Paladin Danse tried pushing Nora out of the way.

"Damn it, Danse! If you kill him, I'll never find my son. And then I'll kill you." Nora growled at Paladin Danse as he slowly lowered his gun. "Now, if you boys are going to play nice, can we get on with this?" Nora looked to the two of them holstering their weapon and she put her hands down. Paladin Danse's face remained in a twisted hatred towards Nick.

Nora looked to the doorway as two figures appeared. A man in drifter clothes and sunglasses, and a woman in undershirt and jeans with sunglasses and a bandanna. Nora looked back to Paladin Danse, "Maybe you should wait up here. I shouldn't be long." Nora whispered to him before walking with Nick.

"Irma, why don't you give our friend here a Goodneighbor welcome?" Nick turned to Paladin Danse and smirked.

"You got it, Mister Valentine." Irma smiled and got up from her seat, getting a bottle of wine and two glasses.

Nora and Nick quickly retreated downstairs, walking in to a room with checkered tile.

"Doctor Amari?" Nick walked farther into the room, looking to a woman standing at the far end, facing some control panels. 

"Yes?" Doctor Amari turned around and looked at the pair of them, "Nick? What's this all about?" 

"Doctor! It's time for you to reverse DEATH ITSELF!" Nora yelled from the back of the room, spreading her arms fantastically.

Doctor Amari looked franticly between Nick and Nora, "What!?"

Nick spun his head and raised his eyebrows in surprise. He sighed, "I wouldn't have put it that way, but it's true. We need a dead man's memories. Guy named Kellogg." he looked back to Doctor Amari as Nora walked closer.

"Are you two mad!?" She yelled to the two of them, "Putting aside the fact that you're asking me to defile a corpse, you do realize that the memory simulators require intact, LIVING brains to function?"

"This dead brain had inside knowledge of the Institute, Amari. The biggest scientific secret of the Commonwealth. You need this, and so do we." Nick persuaded Amari before Nora could say anything.

Amari sighed, "Fine. I'll take a look, but no guarantees. Do you... have it with you?" Doctor Amari raised an eyebrow cautiously.

"Here's... all we could find." Nora pointed to Nick who handed the brain piece.

Doctor Amari took the piece and examined it, "What's this? This isn't a brain. This is... wait..." She raised it up slightly, "This is the hippocampus! And this thing attached to it. A neural interface?" 

"Those circuits look awfully familiar..." Nick mumbled.

"I'm not surprised." Amari looked to Nick, "From what I've seen, all Institute technology has a similar architecture." Amari nodded.

"So the brain is still good, right?" Nora asked, walking in to the room a bit more. 

"Possibly. There's no sign of decay, so the tech is probably preserving the tissue. Injecting some kind of compound to keep it stable." Amari slightly shrugged. "But there's no way to access the memories inside without a compatible port."

"You're talking about me, right?" Nick stepped up, "I'm an old Synth. If the Institute built me out of similar parts, we might have an in." Nick glanced over to Nora, who was shaking her head slightly.

"There... could be long-term side effects. I don't know where to even begin with listing the risks." Doctor Amari shook her head as well.

"Don't bother. I don't need to hear them. Plug me in, doc." Nick interrupted Amari.

Nora turned to Nick, concerned. "You really think this will work, Nick?"

"No idea, but we got a missing kid on the line. That's worth the risk." Nick smiled with hope.

"Whenever you're ready, Mister Valentine. Just sit down." Amari walked to a chair next to a pod looking machine.

"If I start cackling like an old, grizzled mercenary, pull me out, okay?" Nick sat in the chair.

"Let's see here..." Doctor Amari leaned down to him and searched through some of his wires, "I need you to keep talking to me, Mister Valentine. Any slight change in your cognitive functions could be dire." she connected the piece to his head. "Are you... feeling any different?"

"There's a lot of... flashes.. static... I can't make sense of any of it, doc." Nick said, frowning.

"That's what I was afraid of. The mnemonic impressions are encoded." Amari stood up and sighed. "The Institute has one last failsafe. There's a lock on the memories in the implant." 

"Is Nick going to be okay?" Nora asked quickly.

"Yes, the connections appear to be stable. Hopefully, it will be as simple as unplugging the implant once we're done." Amari relived Nora. "But that doesn't get around the current problem. The memory encryption is too strong for a single mind, but... what if we used two?" Amari's voice had hope in it. "We load both you and Mister Valentine into the memory loungers. Run your cognitive functions in parallel." She smiled slighty, "He'll act as a host while your consciousness drives through whatever memories we can find."

Nora didn't think Doctor Amari was speaking a word of English, but agreed anyway. The Doctor's facial expressions drove her to agree. "All right. Let's get started."

"Just sit down over there. And... keep your fingers crossed." Doctor Amari walked to a control panel and waited for Nora to sit in the pod like lounger. 

"See you on the other side." Nick walked passed Nora with a slight smile drawn across his lips.

Nora climbed into the lounger and watched the lid close over her, a small television screen coming into view. It read, "Please stand by".

"Initiating brain-wave migration between the transplant and the host." Amari said from the back as Nora kept her eyes on the screen. "Mnemonic activity coming from the transplant! It's degenerated, but it's there!" Doctor Amari said in a happy tone, "We're going to load you into the strongest memories we can find. They may not be... stable... Just hold on!"

Nora saw her vision fading, and she closed her eyes to a great white.


	16. Memories

Nora opened her eyes and she was standing in a dark area. 

"Can you hear me? Ah, good. The simulation appears to be working, although the memories are quite fragmentary." Doctor Amari's voice appeared in the darkness.

Nora spun around and looked for anything to go to. A strange looking bridge started forming at her feet, leading to a room. 

"I'll try to step you through the intact memories, and hope we find one that gives us some clue to the Institute's location." Doctor Amari's voice came again, and Nora cautiously stepped over the crude bridge to the room. "...There. This is the earliest intact memory I can find." Nora walked onto the floor, staring at a child on a bed, and a woman in a chair.

Kellogg's gruff voice boomed overhead, "I was such a dummy back then. What did I know about how the world worked? I think she wanted me to kill him. I should have. Instead I ended up running away." Nora glanced to the woman in the chair as Doctor Amari's voice broke the short silence.

"Remember, you are experiencing these memories as Kellogg. This may prove disorienting at first." Doctor Amari stated before she was cut off by Kellogg's voice again.

"I told myself I wanted to find somewhere out from under the thumb of the NCR and all their rules. But really, I was running from the guilt of not protecting her from Dad. Doesn't matter now, though." Kellogg started shifting around on the bed, and his mother flipped through pages in a book, listening to a radio. 

"Turn down that Goddamn radio! I'm trying to sleep!" a voice came from the other side of a door.

Kellogg's voice resumed, "Mom knew how it was. She wasn't soft but she loved me in her way. And she protected me from Dad. That cost her more than a few beatings." Nora looked between the two figures, "I never knew what happened to her after I left. I didn't want to know. Not then." Kellogg stopped as his mother started speaking.

"What a joke." She grunted.

"What's it mean, mom?" Kellogg asked, looking at his magazines on the bed.

"Nothing, Connie. People like to talk and hope someone else is going to keep them safe." She sighed.

"Teacher at school said the NCR would bring back the good old days. Like before the big war." Kellogg looked at his mother.

"Don't you listen to that twaddle. I'm going to stop sending you if that's what they're teaching you." Kellogg's mother looked at him on the bed as his father yelled from the other room.

"I'm going out... where the hell did you put my boots?!" 

"Listen to me, Connie." his mother leaned in with a revolver in her hand, "You take this. You're old enough." She handed him the gun, "You're the man of the family now. It's your job to protect us. Your father's useless. But you won't turn out like him. You're a good boy." Kellogg took the gun and looked at it carefully. "And all that on the radio - all useless talk. The only thing that will protect you in this world is that gun in your hands." She leaned back, "You need to learn to use it if you're going to survive."

"I will, mom. I promise. I won't let you down." Kellogg said, pointing the gun straight out, aiming at the wall.

"You've always been my good boy." His mother said, before disappearing before Nora's eyes. The memory went black, and the room looked hazy.

"This doesn't seem to be what we're looking for." Doctor Amari said, another bridge forming towards another room. A kitchen. "There appears to be another intact memory close to you in temporal sequence... there." Nora walked across the bridge to the kitchen area. "Try that one."

Two figures appeared, one male figure at a stove that Nora recognized as herself. Kellogg. And a woman to his right, at the sink. His wife. "The thing about happiness is that you only know you had it when it's gone. I mean, you may think to yourself that you're happy. But you don't really believe it. You focus on petty things, or the next job, or whatever. It's only looking back, by comparison with what comes after, that you really understand that's what happiness felt like." 

Kellogg interrupted himself, talking to his wife, "It's going to be fine. You'll see." He continued overhead.

"I was the worst thing that ever happened to her. If she'd never met me, she'd have stayed in the Hub, maybe hooked up with someone who didn't kill for a living. Probably been happier than she was with me. Almost certainly lived longer." Nora looked carefully at the woman.

"But we don't know anybody here, and now with the baby..." Sarah turned to Kellogg.

"Whatever made me think a guy like me should have a daughter... I never deserved her. Not for one second." Kellogg's voice boomed again.

"Come on, Sarah, you've got to give it a chance." Kellogg walked up to Sarah, arms open. "I've finally got steady work with a good putfit. Nothing like that in the NCR these days."

"I'm not saying this was a mistake, I'm just... Are you sure these guys know what they're doing? They seem kind of... green." Sarah turned and sat down at a table.

"I know. But that's where I come in." Kellogg leaned on the table. "Just wait. In a few years I'll be running my own crew, as soon as I make the connections I need." He took his arms off the table and stood straight up. "Then I can give you anything you want. And little Mary too." Nora slowly walked to the crib at the far end of the room, looking down at the baby.

"I never worried about you before. Must be my mama instincts kicking in. Who knew I had those, huh?" Sarah chuckled slightly.

"Come on. You're great with her." Kellogg leaned in and put his hand on his wife's arm, "And you don't need to worry about me. Most of it's just running security for the Shi. A lot of standing around looking tough."

"They sure picked the right person for that job." Sarah looked up to Kellogg and patted his hand.

"Listen. It's going to be great here." Kellogg pulled out his revolver, "See this? This is what's going to keep you and Mary safe. I promise." he holstered it as Sarah leaned back in her chair.

"I know, Connie. I'm sure we're going to be really happy here." Mary started crying.

"We are. You'll see." Kellogg started walking over to the crib, "I got her." As he reached into the crib, he disappeared, as the room went black.

"Let's keep looking... I'll connect you to the next intact memory." Nora turned around, watching another neural bridge form. Nora quickly walked across it coming to a tunnel looking room.

A voice boomed from the memory as Kellogg walked down the hall. "How did you think this was going to end, Kellogg? You though you could just screw with us, and we wouldn't screw with you?" Nora followed Kellogg close behind. "Just so you know - they died like dogs. And you weren't there to help them." Nora figured out it was his family that they killed as Kellogg reloaded a thick rifle and charged through a door at the end of the hall.

"I've found another memory to try. I'll connect you." Doctor Amari stated as Kellogg disappeared again. 

Nora walked the bridge to another memory, a bar. "Mind if we... sit down?" A few Wastelanders walked up to Kellogg sitting at a table.

"Suit yourself." Kellogg said, sipping a drink.

"There was always a job for someone like me. It didn't matter what it was. It didn't matter who I was supposed to kill. I got pretty good at it." Kellogg's voice boomed.

"So, uh, I hear you'll take care of people's problems. Is that right?" One of the Wasters asked Kellogg.

"If you pay me." Kellogg took another drink.

"Oh we'll pay you. And you'll do this all by yourself?" The other Waster asked.

"That's right." 

"We'll pay you when the job's done, is that okay?" They asked.

"If that's the way you want to do it. So who do you want dead?" Kellogg asked, putting his glass on the table.

"Well, it's like this. There's this family, lives down the creek a ways..." The people faded and the room went black.

"Well, we seem to be getting closer. Try this next one." A bridge formed, leading to an open room.

"I finally ended up in the Commonwealth. I kind of ran out of road, plus I'd come to terms with life. I wasn't going to be stupid enough to get mixed up with caring about other people again. It was just me against the world. And the world had it coming." Kellogg's voice began as figures appeared: three First Gen Synths, a woman, and Kellogg.

"So, you're with the Institute... I wanted to see for myself if you really existed." Kellogg puffed on a cigarette.

Nora glanced to the woman sitting behind a table in a white suit. "We do, as you can see."

"You heard all sorts of rumors about the institute, but I figured they were just a convenient bogeyman for anything bad that ever happened." Nora looked at the woman behind the desk, staring at Kellogg. "They were real, all right, but they didn't know anything about operating on the surface. Relied on their synths for everything." Kellogg chuckled, "They had the resources I needed, and I had the expertise they needed. Turned into a permanent, which suited me just fine."

"What do you want?" Kellogg tossed his cigarette to the side.

"It's come to my attention that you've been rather disruptive of our operations lately. This must stop." The woman leaned on the table.

"I do what people pay me to do. If that's a problem for you, I can see only one way out." Kellogg smirked.

"And what's that, Mr. Kellogg?"

"If I'm working for you, there's no more problem. from what I hear, you can afford me." Kellogg folded his arms.

"I don't think you fully understand the situation you're in." The woman glanced to the two synths to her left and right.

Kellogg chuckled deeply. "I think I do."

"Very well." the woman sighed slightly, "B7-48 initiate..." The three synths grabbed their pistols as Kellogg ran up to the one of the woman's left, grabbing his revolver and holding the synth to him as a shield. Kellogg fired at the other two synths, the turned the gun to the synth in his arms, shooting it. He let it clatter to the ground.

"Impressive. We may have something to talk about after all." The woman leaned back in her chair with her hands in her lap. The figures faded and yet another bridge formed.

"Getting warmer. One of these has got to tell us something... We're running out of brain here... uh... ah, there's one that looks mostly intact. Connecting now." Doctor Amari's voice explained as a large room appeared over the neural bridge. 

Nora walked across the bridge, staring blankly at the room with familiar pods. Kellogg appeared with two figures in hazmat suits.

"Manual override initiated. Cryogenic stasis suspended." A computer stated.

Nora remembered where she was. Her face burned as Kellogg began speaking.

"I was now the Institute's main operator in the Commonwealth. If they needed something done, they came to me. It wasn't usual for anyone from the Institute to come along on a mission. So this one stood out." Nora glanced at the two figures, one at a terminal, "I didn't know who it was we were grabbing from the Vault. Of course, neither did they. Not really."

"Vault computers are still working. That's good. Checking through the logs. Hopefully it's all..." The figure Nora recognized as an Institute Scientist at the computer explained, but what cut short by Kellogg.

"Just... find it." Kellogg said impatiently.

"Pod C6. Down the hall near the end." The Scientist pointed in the direction, still focused on the computer.

Kellogg and the woman scientist walked down the hall, where she stopped at a pod and pointed at it. "This is the one. Here."

Kellogg walked to the opposite side, his voice booming overhead, "I'm glad I didn't have to kill the kid. I'm not saying I haven't done it, but I never liked to. But it was better this way. Better than taking his kid and leaving him alive."

"Open it." Kellogg raised his hand up slightly.

The pod door opened and Nate coughed and gasped. "Is it over? Are we okay?"

Nora felt her heart breaking and turned away, looking into the eyes of herself in the pod. Behind her, she heard Kellogg talking to Nate. She covered her ears and closed her eyes, jumping at a gunshot. Nora silently sobbed and opened her eyes as Kellogg appeared in front of her.

"At least we still have the backup..." Kellogg looked into Nora's pod, and his voice boomed once again.

"Even then, I knew it was a mistake leaving her alive. I understood that kind of revenge, no one better. But I was cocky enough to assume I could handle some soft prewar Vault dweller, even if she somehow got thawed out." Kellogg scoffed, "At least I know those Institute assholes will soon get what's coming to them too. If she could take me out, they won't be able to hide from her long." 

The computer toned, "Cryogenic sequence reinitialized."

Kellogg walked back to the male scientist, "What's the hold up?"

"I'm almost finished, Kellogg. I just need to confirm... all right. We're done." Nora stared in their direction and faced away as the room darkened, and the bridge started to form.

"I'm, uh... I'm sorry you had to go through that again. I've found another intact memory. Whenever you're ready." Doctor Amari said remorsefully.

Nora took a deep breath and stepped onto the bridge. She ran across it, seeing another familiar room. Two figures appeared, a boy on the ground with a bunch of magazines, and Kellogg, in a chair facing a door.

"Is that... your son? This appears to be a very recent memory, so... good news, I think." Doctor Amari kept quiet as Nora walked up to the boy and knelt down next to him, noticing his hair color, and she saw Nate's eyes. Nora smiled slightly as Kellogg began talking.

"It wasn't my idea to settle down with the kid in the middle of Diamond City. I thought it was a terrible idea, actually. But it was one of the old man's pet projects, so here we were. Me and the kid like a happy little family." Nora glanced back to Kellogg with a saddened look. "I ended up kind of liking it. A reminder of what my life might have been if things had turned out differently. But there's no going back. I knew it was just temporary, and it would go back to normal business before too long."

A man walked through the door, Nora recognized him as X6-88, an Institute Corser. She slowly stood up and turned to him as Kellogg pointed a gun in his face. "Kellogg."

Kellogg lifted his gun and quickly spoke. "It's okay. One of these days you're going to get your head blown off, just barging in here like that." Kellogg stood up as the Courser advanced.

"Minimizing my exposure to civilians is a priority..." The Courser began, stopping at a desk.

Kellogg's voice talked over the Courser's, "The new breed of synths could easily pass as human. Some of them did. But the coursers - they weren't built to blend in. They were killing machines, pure and simple. Smarter, stronger, and faster than almost any real human. I'm just glad they were always on my side."

"Forget I said anything. So what's the big crisis this time?" Kellogg sighed as Nora watched the two of them meet up.

"New orders for you. One of our scientists has left the Institute." The Courser pulled a file out and handed it to Kellogg. Nora looked down to Shaun on the ground, who was looking at Kellogg.

"Left as in..." Kellogg snatched the file.

"He's gone rogue. Name's Doctor Brian Virgil." the Courser explained, "We know he's hiding somewhere in the Glowing Sea. That's his file." he pointed at the file.

"Wow." Kellogg opened the file and flipped through some of the pages, "Some heads are going to roll for this. Capture and return or just elimination?"

"Elimination. He was working on a highly classified program." The Courser looked down to Shaun.

"No kidding. One of the top Bioscience boys? Damn." Kellogg looked at the Courser, then to Shaun. "So... I guess you're taking the kid back with you." 

"Affirmative. Your only mission is to locate and eliminate Virgil." The Courser looked back at Kellogg.

"You're taking me home to my father?" Shaun stood up and looked at the Courser.

"Yes. Stand next to me and hold still." The Courser walked to the corner of the room, Shaun following.

"Okay." Shaun stood next to the Courser.

 

"X6-88, ready to Relay with Shaun." The Courser said, looking to Shaun.

"Bye, Mr. Kellogg! I hope I'll get to see you again sometime!" Shaun waved to Kellogg as they were beamed out of the room.

"Bye." Kellogg stared at the wall until he faded, and the memory went black. Nora looked down at the ground, thinking about all she had done.

"Teleportation. Now it all makes sense. Nobody's found the entrance to the Institute because there IS no entrance. Let me pull you out of there. As soon as you're ready..." The television clicked on behind Nora, and she touched the screen slightly, getting overwhelmed by white light once again.


	17. Sturges!

"Slow movements, okay? I don't know what kind of side effects the procedure might have had. No one's ever... done this before." Doctor Amari held her hands out to steady Nora as she stumbled out of the pod. "How do you feel?" Doctor Amari looked into Nora's eyes as she blinked a few times.

Nora rubbed her head slightly, "I'm okay, doctor. Thank you..."

"That's good, but I want you to keep monitoring yourself. We have to be sure there's no long-term damage." Doctor Amari looked into Nora's eyes. "Are you... ready to talk about what happened in there?"

"I saw Kellogg's life... The man who ruined my family... The man I killed." Nora looked away.

"That's right. He was a human being just like the rest of us, and he had reasons for being what he was, however cruel." Amari tried to get Nora's attention again, "How does that... make you feel?"

"I... I'm not sure, doctor..." Nora shrugged slightly.

"I don't know if there's any 'right' way to feel, either..." Amari shook her head, "We're getting off-track. The important thing is that we discovered the Institute's greatest secret. Teleportation. The only question is, what do we do now?" Amari shrugged.

Nora thought a moment, "That scientist Kellogg was supposed to track down. Virgil. We need to find him."

Doctor Amari exclaimed, "You're right! A rogue Institute scientist could answer all kinds of questions. Where did the memory say he was? The Glowing Sea? That doesn't make sense. No one goes there. Not even if they were desperate." Doctor Amari frowned.

"Then he's dead already. It's a waste of time." Nora sighed and waved her arm.

"No. He must have gone there for a reason. He has to be alive. He... must have been prepared for it..." Amari looked away for a moment before returning her gaze to Nora. "Look, we don't have any options left... you have to go after him. Through that sea of radioactive ash."

Nora's face dropped and she slouched slightly. "How do I fight that much radiation, doc?"

"There are chemical compounds. Rad-X RadAway. You'll need as much as you could carry. Maybe more." Amari nodded, "A sealed environment suit would be great, if you could find one. Or maybe... one of those suits of Power Armor? That would be perfect."

Nora looked at the ground before her eyes widened and she looked up to doctor Amari, grabbing the sides of her head, and then grabbing Amari's shoulders. "Power Armor?! Sturges! I left Sturges!" Nora looked down and let Amari go, "I'll find a way to get through the rads. Don't worry." 

Doctor Amari looked around, "Sturges? Who's Sturges?" She shook her head after Nora left the room, "No matter. Good luck... and be safe." Doctor Amari yelled up to Nora climbing the stairs, "By the way," Nora stopped, "I unplugged Mister Valentine first. Removed the implant while you were waking up. He's waiting for you upstairs!" Amari waved as Nora saluted casually.

Nora sped walked up to Paladin Danse who was standing next to Irma's chair. Nora tapped his shoulder and walked up to Nick who was sitting on a bench near the door.

"Nick?" Nora looked down to him, who seemed unresponsive.

"Hope you found what you were looking for inside my head." Kellogg's voice came across Nick's lips.

"K-Kellogg?" Nora whispered, putting her hand over her revolver on her hip.

"Heh. I was right. Should've killed you when you were on ice." Kellogg looked down, so Nick's hat hid one of his eyes.

"You want to try for round two? Let's go." Nora spit at Nick's feet.

Nick lifted his foot and looked up to Nora, "What? What are you talking about?"

"Nicky!" Nora sighed and sarcastically put her hands on her hips, "Were you playing a joke on me? You sounded like Kellogg just then." She put her revolver back in the holster.

"Did I? Amari said there might be some 'mnemonic impressions' left over. Anyway, I feel fine, so where are we going?" Nick rubbed his forehead.

"Well, that's the thing, Nick. We need to go to the Glowing Sea, but I don't have enough fusion cores for my Power Armor suit. So, I'm heading to Sanctuary Hills to talk to the guy that gave me the Armor." Nora shrugged, "With Paladin Danse."

"I'll head back to Diamond City then." Nick smiled and stood up, "Good luck on finding some cores." He nodded to Danse and walked out the door.

Nora turned to Danse, "Do you think we could use a Vertibird to get to Red Rocket?" 

"Red Rocket? I thought you wanted to go to Sanctuary Hills?" Danse asked, pulling out a flare grenade.

"Well, The Minutemen don't you know yet. You know me, but they don't know you. So, it's probably safer if we go to Red Rocket. Plus, I'd like to unload some of my guns." Nora pointed to her SMG and laser pistol.

"Right..." Paladin Danse eyed her carefully, "We have to leave the city so the Prydwen can see our signal smoke." He started walking out of the building, Nora following behind.

They took some back roads that Paladin Danse remembered, leading to a clearing. Paladin Danse pulled the top off the grenade and rolled it out onto the broken road. They waited for about 10 minutes before a Vertibird came in view.

Nora climbed aboard, pointing out Red Rocket to the Lancer. "I need you to take us here, please. ASAP." Nora backed out of the cockpit, manning the minigun as the Lancer gave her a thumbs up and they took off.

***

Nora jumped onto the ground and got knocked over by a big furry thing. She felt a wet tongue slip across her face and neck. "Hey, boy! I missed you too." She petted Dogmeat and sat up.

Paladin Danse jumped down next to Nora, "We should get going."

Nora stared up at Danse as the Vertibird took off, "Yeah. Uh, you know what I was saying about the Minutemen not knowing you?"

"Yeah? You have ties with the leader I take it?" Paladin Danse walked into the garage.

"Something like that... Erm, I guess I'm saying... stay here and feed my dog?" Nora smiled and shrugged.

Paladin Danse looked back to Nora and scoffed, "If you really think the leader won't like me." he looked back to her Power Armor.

"She likes you. Trust me." Nora spun on her heel and started off to Sanctuary.

Paladin Danse glanced back to Nora with a curious look and muttered. "What happened to you in that place..."

***

"Sturges?" Nora rounded the corner of her neighbor's house, heading into the overhang. 

"General! So glad to see you. Did you find your boy?" Sturges turned from the wall he was hammering and looked around. 

"Not yet. I'm at an impasse at the moment, so I thought I'd come help you like I was supposed to do when I met you guys..." Nora sighed.

"I didn't expect you to help us until you found your son, General. I take this as generosity. Going outta your way to help us." Sturges smiled and placed a hand on Nora's shoulder. "C'mon. I'll show you around and give you pointers on what needs to be done in settlements like ours."

Nora smiled back to Sturges and followed him quietly.

"Settlements normally consist of five key things. Food, water, defense, electricity, and bedding. If you got the proper amounts of each for a settlement, you should hear no complaints." Sturges turned to Nora, "Don't worry, I took care of us here. All we need is food and bedding." He turned to the broken road and lead Nora to an empty house. "Not all settlements need electricity. So you can save your resources for one that does." He waved to Preston and took Nora back to the house they started at.

"So you guys need bedding? And food?" Nora looked around and a lightbulb went off in her head, "Ah! I have some watermelon seeds here, and a few from mutfruit." she reached into her pockets and pulled the seeds out. Codsworth passed the two of them, and Nora stopped him. "Codsworth? Can you plant these for me please? And grow them?" 

"Gladly, mum." Codsworth took the seeds and went around the corner of the building, shoving each of them into the ground.

"I'll check some of the houses for bedding." Nora started off to the entrance of Sanctuary Hills. She planned on checking each house, starting from the beginning to end.

Nora kicked the door down to the first house, gun drawn. A radroach made itself known, fluttering up to Nora. She beat it down, stomping it to a pile of green mush. Gun still drawn, she crept around the entryway corner and into the short hallway. Nora peered into the bathroom and into the storage. A bit of cloth caught her eye and she grabbed at it. It was a sleeping bag. She walked further, sleeping bag in one hand and her gun in the other. In the master bedroom was a mattress. She looked to the office across from the master bedroom and looked out the window. Nora threw the sleeping bag out of the broken window and holstered her gun. She picked the mattress up and worked her way through the hallway and out of the house. She shuffled to Sturges with the mattress and sleeping bag in hand. 

Nora found two more sleeping bags in her old house and a mattress in the neighbor who lived on the edge of town.

"I think that should fix the bedding problem?" Nora dropped the last two sleeping bags at Sturges' feet.

"Yeah, we should be good now. Thank you General." Sturges nodded, "Now, I don't want to see you until you find your son, you hear? Unless you need our help, of course. Go find your boy." Sturges waved her along.

"Thanks Sturges. It seems you've got everything under control here." Nora looked around.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good. Because I'm putting you in charge of Sanctuary." She slapped Sturges' arm.

"What? Me? What about Preston?" Sturges chuckled.

"Preston told me he isn't much of a leader. Not to mention he is supposed to give me word on settlements that need my help when I'm not so busy. I need his mind focused on finding those who need our help. You take care of Sanctuary." Nora winked and clicked her tongue before Sturges could say anything. "I gotta go. I'll come around if I need your help, okay? See you around Sturges." She started back to Red Rocket.

Sturges sat there for a moment, searching for words. He took a deep breath to yell something to Nora, but kept quiet.

Nora ran up to Red Rocket, jumping through the paneless window. She sat on the barstool and grabbed the Grognak comic book sitting on the counter right inside the building.

Paladin Danse stomped outside the building, getting Nora to turn. "We should head back to the Elder. I'll contact a Vertibird." Danse grabbed a signal grenade.

"Wait! I want to take a walk." Nora unlatched the laser pistol from her hip and slipped the SMG strap off her shoulder. "Can we walk for a while?" 

Paladin Danse sighed, "If you insist. But I suggest we get moving. The Elder is expecting us."

Nora slapped the comic on the counter and hopped off the stool. "Right. Expecting us." Nora sighed and walked out of the side door, not waiting for Paladin Danse.

***

"The fire's going out. Danse. Danse. The fire's going out." Nora stared into the fire pit she created. She took a bite of her radstag steak. 

"I don't understand what you'd like me to do about it, Knight." Paladin Danse's brows furrowed as he bit into a mutfruit.

Nora stopped staring into the fire as she swallowed her steak. She pulled her revolver out of its holster and clicked the hammer back and forth, listening to the clicking noise it made. After about ten minutes, Danse stopped her.

"What are you doing? And why?" Paladin Danse looked around with his arms open and resting on his legs. He glanced to the fire staked outside a building to their right.

"I like the sound... Sorry." Nora made sure it wasn't ready to fire before holstering it. "I don't think-" She was cut off by Danse shushing her.

"Shh! Do you hear that?" Paladin Danse reached to the left of him for his helmet. 

Nora listened closely, swallowing another chunk of meat. She heard a slight whistling.

The fire in front of the building dimmed and they heard a man yelling. "NUKE! HIT THE DIRT!"

Paladin Danse secured his helmet on and stood up. "We have to move! NOW!" He took off as Nora realized what was happening. She ran after him as the whistling got louder and louder.

Nora remembered seeing Paladin Danse in front of her, shrinking slightly, but she saw a bright yellow flash to her right and the ground seemed to shrink and the Paladin was cowering more to the right then she thought. She looked down to see the ground closer and closer. Nora smacked face first into the dust and rolled uncontrollably. She stopped rolling when something pierced her left leg. Nora gasped for air, coughing.

"Nora!? Nora!? Are you alright!?" Paladin Danse's voice came out of the fire cloud to what was now her left.

"I... Don't know!" Nora coughed and looked down to her leg. She could barely see.

Paladin Danse burst out of the flames, tossing his helmet to the side as he kneeled next to her. "Oh my God..." Danse looked away from her.

"What?.. What is it? I'm okay, right, Paladin?" Nora looked up to Danse.

Slowly his gaze returned to her dismembered body. "No... Your leg is impaled, your right arm is gone, and the right side of your face is mangled..."

Nora looked up to him before reaching over with her left arm to grab her right. "What do you mean... I can still feel-..." She grabbed a hard, wet, nub. "Oh God." She moved her hand to her face and ran her fingers over her exposed eye socket. "I don't want to die, Danse..." Nora choked. 

"And you're not going to. Not again." Danse yelled for help and broke the metal shard her leg was stuck on. 

Two figures appeared out of the dust, coughing and waving their hands in their faces. A woman and a man.

"I can help her. I'm a doctor. But we need to move her now!" The woman beckoned for Danse to follow, "Jack, find her arm. I'll see if I can put it back on." The man ran off into the smoke as Danse picked Nora up carefully and quickly walked after the woman.

"Put her in here! On this table!" The woman pointed at the table as Nora screamed and writhed on the table. Jack burst through the door with Nora's tattered arm. The woman looked at the arm, and then at Danse. "Sir, can you please wait outside?" She stabbed two Stimpaks into Nora's chest and injected her with Med-X. The woman quickly wrapped her arm up and tied her leg above the knee.

"Paladin, you heard the woman. Wait outside!" Jack pushed Paladin Danse out the door and shut it on his face.

"Jack, I can't use her arm. That's way too far gone. Her leg... It's... I can't save it. The hamstring is severed. She'll never walk." The woman said to Jack.

"Theresa. You may not know this woman, but she's the biggest deal. You gotta try. Please." Jack dropped Nora's arm and pleaded with Theresa.

She sighed and looked down to the broken Synth at the base of the table. "Jack, you cleared this place of Synth's right?" 

"Yeah, why?"

"Bring me an intact 2nd Gen. Now!"

Jack rushed off deeper into the building. Nora's cries died down, and the bleeding had almost stopped. "I'm going to help you, okay? Stay with me."

Nora nodded with teary eyes and took deep breaths. 

"Here." Jack dragged a 2nd Gen into the room. "What are you going to do with it?" He looked down to it and then to Nora.

"No... No, Theresa, she's with the Brotherhood of Steel. They hate Synths. You can't. She'd get exiled or killed." Jack shook his head.

"And she'll get killed if I don't give her something to work with." Theresa nodded and lifted the arm of the Synth, "I want you to cut that according to the size of her right arm. And the left leg below the knee. Alter them both to be the same size as her other limbs. Oh, and before I forget..." Theresa turned to Nora, "What's your blood type, dear?"

"...O negative." Nora coughed.

"Jack? I need to give her a transfusion." Theresa beckoned him and grabbed an empty bag of blood.

"I thought you said I had AB positive-"

"I did, and it can be given to a person with O negative. Get over here." Theresa hung the bag on a hook on the wall.

"When I'm done, I need you to cut the Synth. I need an eye too. I'll fix her up. I know how the human and Synth bodies work. I can get them to work together." Theresa smiled contently as she jabbed a needle into Jack's arm and watched the bag fill up. She immediately removed the needle and stuck it into Nora's left arm.

Jack slowly stood up and dragged the Synth out of the room. He yelled to Theresa as she applied more pressure to Nora's arm, "Do you need these bar thingies that go into the shoulder?"

"Yes! Just remove the whole arm. I need the wiring too. Make sure I can use some plating to attach the metal to bone." Theresa yelled back. 

Nora's hearing started to tunnel. Everything was blurry and white. She passed out.


	18. Battle Scarred

Nora leaned over the edge of the table and vomited. She coughed and rubbed her forehead. Her face hurt something awful. Her right arm was wrapped up and in a sling on her chest. Theresa rushed over to Nora's side. 

"How are you feeling? Besides sick..?" Theresa checked Nora's pulse and her pupil. 

"I feel great, doc. Absolutely wonderful. Couldn't feel better." Nora said sarcastically, vomiting again.

"Aheh. Are you in too much pain?" Theresa grabbed a few stimpaks and stabbed them into Nora's chest.

"What do you think?" Nora spat on the ground.

Theresa looked at Nora's disturbed face and grabbed a Med-X. "I'm going to check your wounds now. I've been giving you Stimpaks for the last 3 days you've been asleep. Performing procedures at the same time. I think I've finished. I will check when you are feeling better, however." She started unwrapping Nora's head to look at the scar tissue.

"So what did you do to me? I can't see out of my right eye, and my arm feels funny. So does my leg." Nora shifted on the table uncomfortably.

Theresa looked into Nora's eye, "You can feel your arm?" she exclaimed.

"Yeah... But it feels weird." Nora looked up to Theresa. "And I can't see you with my other eye..."

Theresa bounced happily behind Nora, "It worked! Yes, it worked!" She stopped when she saw Nora's head cocked to see her. "You can't see because I taped your eyelid shut so it could heal. But it looks good."

"What worked? What did you do?" Nora looked back to the roof as Theresa walked over to her arm and started unwrapping the bandages. Theresa checked Nora's shoulder.

"Wow. Stimpaks are amazing, aren't they." Theresa said to herself.

Nora chuckled slightly and looked at her arm. "What the hell!?" She jumped back, falling off the table. She lifted herself off the ground and used her right arm to rub her face. She opened her eyes and saw her hand again, jumping back again. 

Nora had a synth arm. It was stripped of the skin and looked almost like a metal skeleton. She sat against the wall, her arm spread out in front of her. It had metal spiraled around the metal bars, giving it a layer of extra strength and protection. Her hand was like Nick Valentine's. A flat metal plate with fingers. Two wires attached to the wrist, a black and a green one.

"Hey, are you all right?" Theresa rushed next to Nora, "I've never seen someone do that before..." she chuckled.

"What... did you do to me." Nora asked as blood dripped off the tips of her metal fingers. She felt blood trickle down the right side of her face.

"You busted a stitch." Theresa helped Nora back to the table and laid her down. She grabbed her medical kit and started working on Nora, "As for what I did to you... I saved your life. You could at least be grateful."

Nora stared at her arm, "Right. Yeah... Thanks, I guess. Where's my real arm? Why didn't you stitch it back on?" Nora looked over her hand and flexed her fingers.

"Because it was beyond repair." Theresa wrapped a bandage around Nora's eye again. "Get some rest. Then I can explain what is exactly going on." Theresa started wrapping Nora's arm up. Tomorrow I will give you two more Stimpaks, and once they get through to all your wounds, you should be all healed. Then we can talk about your robot parts." Theresa injected Nora with a syringe. "This should help you sleep. I'll be right out there if you need anything."

Nora looked at her wrapped arm and laid her head back. After a while, she dosed off.

A radio clicked on. Nora opened her eyes, putting both hands up to her eyes and rubbed them tiredly.

"Are you ready to get up and moving?" A man's voice came out of the dark.

Nora removed her arms from her face and looked into the dark. "Jack? Is that you? Do you remember me? You saved my life when that suicider tried to kill us?" Nora squinted into the darkness.

"Yeah, I remember you. Nora, right? You got the dog?" Jack walked over to the side of the table as Nora sat up.

"Yeah." Nora swung her legs over the edge of the table so she faced him. 

Jack walked to the left of her and wrapped his arm around her, holding underneath her arm.

Nora scooted slowly off the table and landed hard on her feet.

"Easy, easy. How's your leg? Is there pressure on your upper leg?" Jack lifted her up.

"No. I think I'm fine." Nora looked down to her leg and saw her pant leg rolled up and her boot was off, but it was wrapped up as her arm was.

"That's good. It means I did my job right. Let's go." Jack lead her to the front of the building. "Do you think you can stand on your own?" Jack looked to Nora when they arrived at a fire.

"Yeah, I think so." Nora removed her arm from around his shoulders and tried balancing. She sat there for a moment, leaning mostly on her right foot until she decided to put weight on her left. It didn't hurt her as much as she thought it would. 

"You okay?" Jack said as Nora winced slightly.

"Yeah, it's more sore than it is pain." Nora shrugged and hobbled over to the bench next to her, sitting down and staring into the fire.

"Hungry?" Jack offered Nora a chunk of watermelon.

"Sure, thanks." Nora smiled slightly and took the watermelon.

"Theresa should be here shortly. She went outside for some fresh air." Jack threw the watermelon rind into the fire.

Nora remembered Danse, "Speaking of outside... Where's Paladin Danse?" she looked slightly at Jack, and then around the room.

"He's back with your Elder." Jack pulled out a knife and began sharpening it.

"Can I tell them about what happened? About how you guys gave me-" Nora was cut off by a stern response by Jack.

"No!" Jack slammed the sharpening stone down next to him. He sighed and looked into Nora's startled face, "Sorry... but you gotta believe me. Do not tell the BoS about how we fixed you. Never." Jack swiped his hand down in front of him.

"O-Okay..." Nora threw her watermelon rind into the fire, "It's because you used synth parts, isn't it?" 

"Yes. That's exactly why. If they see your arm, leg, or eye, they might think you're a synth and kill you." Jack continued to sharpen the knife as Theresa walked in.

"Good to see you up, Nora." Theresa sat on the bench next to Nora. "I gave you your Stimpaks already. Do you mind if I take the bandages off?"

"Yeah, please. I'd like to see what you did to me exactly." Nora started pulling the bandages off her leg as Theresa unwrapped her eye.

"Well... your eye is all healed up. Let's see if you can see out of it, hmm?" Theresa removed the tape as Nora sat up. 

Nora opened her eye and blinked a few times. "I can't see-" Theresa and Jack saw the yellow of Nora's eye flicker to life. "I can see now." Nora looked around.

"That's wonderful! And I see you're using your arm more?" Theresa pointed out Nora's arm. "Oh! And do you have any discomfort in your eye? Itching, does it feel dry?"

"No, I think it's fine. From what I can tell." Nora shrugged.

"Let's see your leg, since you already unwrapped it for me..." Theresa walked in front of Nora and checked the wound. "All healed up. It didn't hurt when you walked, did it?" Theresa looked up to Nora.

"No, it was more of a sore, then pain." Nora started unwrapping her arm. 

"Is your arm pulling on your shoulder at all?" Theresa sat next to Nora again and helped her unwrap her arm.

"Nope. If anything, it's lighter than my other arm." Nora held them both out.

"Well, everything seems okay on the outside. And you feel fine?" Theresa walked to the opposite side of the fire pit and picked up a few things.

"I feel fine. And what's strange to me, is that I can feel my leg and arm." Nora tried to see what Theresa was grabbing.

"It's good. It means the wires I plugged into your brain are working." Theresa came over to Nora with a rubbery skin for an arm and leg. "Slip these on. They should fit."

Nora slipped the skins over her robotic limbs, looking at the skin and comparing it to her real skin. She chuckled, "It's uh... the right size... but what about the color? It's quite a difference."

Theresa smiled, "We'll give you an excuse for being wrapped in bandages all the time."

Nora nodded slowly and flexed her hand again. "Can I have my glove and boot?" Nora rolled her sleeve and pant leg down.

"Of course. I did an amazing patch job on those as well." Theresa got up and walked into the other room.

Nora watched her disappear before looking down to her holster where her revolver sat with a chunk of wood missing from the grip. "Oh no..." She slowly pulled it out and ran her fingers over the splintered wood.

"I can fix that, if you'd like..." Jack walked over to Nora with his hand out.

Nora looked up and down him and smiled sarcastically, her yellow eye glowing in the dark. "You think I would just give you my gun? Loaded?"

"Honestly, no. And that makes me glad you said no. You're not stupid." Jack started walking passed Nora and he slapped her shoulder. "And thus leads us to our first lesson. Come with me outside. I'm going to teach you how to fix and mod guns." 

Theresa walked up to Nora and gave her the boot and glove. "He'll also teach you how to repair yourself, if the time came." she whispered to Nora before Nora rushed out the door after Jack.

"Thanks, Theresa." Nora saluted casually and pushed the door open with her back.


	19. Don't Tell

Nora threw her head back and laughed. Jack chuckled next to her and Theresa ended her story.

"So I just patched him up and told him he couldn't go swimming for an hour." Theresa chuckled and took a sip of her drink.

Nora sighed, "How long have I been with you guys... Why wasn't I ever with you guys? You all have these great stories. Then there's me; I blew up." Nora chuckled, wiping tears from her eyes.

"We've been together... a month I believe. And you've just about figured out everything there is to know about yourself." Jack poked the fire with a stick.

"I'm just glad you guys don't think of me like I'm some experiment or cyborg. I'm glad you treat me like a human being." Nora put one leg over the bench she was sitting on and started tearing her revolver apart. "That's the problem with today... people like the BoS don't believe Ghouls are people. Same with synths. Well, I mean, look at the 3rd Gen synths. They pass as human! Only thing on them that isn't human is their Synth Components. And tell me this, have you seen a synth that believes it's human? I swear, they would do anything to prove they are. Determination." Nora looked out to the sunset.

"You support synths?" Theresa raised an eyebrow and passed Jack a glance. 

"Not the ones meant to replace people. The ones who don't look like anyone in particular. The ones that are their own people." Nora pointed at Theresa with the revolver cylinder in her hand.

"How do you even work with the BoS... How can you help them if that's the way you feel?" Jack was genuinely curious and turned to face her back.

Nora thought for a moment, "I don't know. I believe what they are doing is right to a point, I guess... Like killing Ferals, and the 1st, 2nd, 3rd Gen synths that try to kill us, even Supermutants." she shrugged, "But they're still rude to Ghouls and friendly synths. It's not right."

"Speaking of the BoS... Nora, I think it's about time you reported in. I believe you've spent enough time 'recovering'." Theresa put hand quotations on "recovering". "Before you go, though..." She pulled out a pair of sunglasses like Jack's, "take these. For your eye. The scars will explain enough to the BoS. No questions asked." Theresa smiled and handed Nora the sunglasses.

"Thanks." Nora put them on, "How do I look?" she raised both eyebrows seductively to Jack and jokingly made kissing noises with her lips.

"Stylish." Jack smirked and waved the flaming stick in the air.

"So, I got hit by a Nuke, lost my arm to fire, mangled my leg, and my eye was badly tore up? Then, you reattached my arm and fixed my leg and eye. And the reason my arm and leg are bandaged up is because of scar damage that looks horrible. Long story short, I looked much like a Feral until I got the bandages covering the scars." Nora squinted towards the two of them, checking her story.

Theresa and Jack ran over what she said individually, "Mmh, yep. Sounds about right." Theresa nodded and set her cup down.

"Then I'm off." Nora slapped the cylinder back into place on her revolver and stood up, holstering her weapon.

"Theresa!" 

Nora spun her head to the voice, her hand still on her revolver. Jack stood up and put his hand over his gun. Theresa leaned to the left to look passed Nora. 

"Girl, do you know how long I've been looking for you? Nathan has the group all together again. You were gone. We thought you died." An African American man in a t-shirt and black leather jacket with white elbow and arm pads stepped passed the fire and everyone, walking straight up to Theresa and hugging her.

"Tyler!" Theresa hugged Tyler back, "After the NCR overran us, I hid inside that old bomb shelter. Jack found me after he killed at least seven of them. Of course, he needed my help..." Theresa looked to Jack.

Tyler looked to Jack and nodded. "Come on. Nathan is waiting for us."

Tyler let go of Theresa as she started collecting her things. Tyler turned and watched her, occasionally glancing up at Nora. Theresa slung her backpack on and motioned for Tyler to come.

"I'm ready." Theresa walked up to Nora, "I'm glad I got to help you." she smiled and turned back to wave to Jack. "Thanks Jack. I'm glad I could help you too."

Jack waved back, "Bye."

Nora took Theresa's hand and shook it. "I'm glad you could fix me up."

Jack and Nora watched Theresa and Tyler walk into the distance before Nora looked away and sighed.

"Well, I'm off." Nora chuckled, "God, you've helped me so many times. If we meet again, I don't want either of us to need the other's help. And I'll buy you a drink." Nora smiled as she walked closer to Jack, "I'll see you around, Jack." she patted Jack's shoulder and walked passed him towards the hazy zeppelin in the far distance.

***

"Sir, Nora's down here... Alive." A Knight in Power Armor used his intercom to speak to the bridge. "Yes, sir, the new Knight Paladin Danse was watching over."

 

Nora frowned slightly and looked around, realizing the stares she was attracting. 

"Yes- Okay, thank you, sir." The Knight nodded. "They're coming down with Paladin Danse, Knight."

"Thanks." Nora looked up to the Prydwen and watched a Vertibird detach and slowly come down.

"So... did you really get hit by a Nuke?" the Knight looked up to the Vertibird as well.

Nora chuckled and put both hands on her hips as she kept looking, "Yep. The doc that stitched me up had to reattach my arm. It was messy." Nora messed with the bandages showing on her wrist.

"Wow. That's brutal. Can you still use it as well as before?" He pointed to Nora's arm, "Your arm, I mean?"

Nora watched as the Bird landed, "Hell, I'm sure I use it better now than I did before." Nora saluted the Knight, "Good talking to you. I'll see you around." she ran up to the Bird and got a hand up from Paladin Danse.

"Knight!" Paladin Danse let her go once she was aboard. "I'm thrilled to see you are all right. When those two civilians took you into that failing structure, I thought you were finished." 

Nora steadied herself as the Vertibird took off, "You won't believe what went down inside there. What they had to do to me." Nora stopped herself and thought about what she was saying. 

"Please, enlighten me." Paladin Danse shifted slightly at the tilt of the Bird.

"The doctor found my arm, believe it or not. She shot a few Stims into it and stitched it back on." Nora patted her arm. 

"I can recall her saying your arm was, 'beyond repair'. And what of your leg? And eye?" Paladin Danse raised an eyebrow.

"Uh, yeah, I guess after you left, Jack convinced her to try. My leg is fine, she just had to put all the little fragments of my kneecap back together. My eye... my eye is fine too. She seriously injected me with Stims half the time. All she had to do was make sure everything was healing properly." Nora shrugged as the Bird ported.

"Outstanding. Elder Maxson is looking forward to seeing you. He still has that task that he wanted us to achieve before you got wounded." Paladin Danse jumped off the Bird after Nora.

 

"He still has that for us?" Nora scoffed, "Am I special or something? Why didn't you do it with someone else?" she turned back to Danse as she pushed open the door.

Paladin Danse tromped after her. "No, he assigned us to it. He expects us to finish the job." 

As the two of them walked onto the bridge, Elder Maxson turned around to face them. "Welcome back, Knight. Good to see you again. I was informed you may not have survived."

"Elder." Nora smirked, "I'm glad to be back."

"Before you go charging off to kill the Behemoth, I'd like you to check in with Knight-Captain Cade. He'll look you over and see if you're fit to fight." Elder Maxson gestured to the stairs.

"Sir, that won't be necessary. My doctor cleared me for everything. She had me training with a friend." Nora shook her head slightly.

"Then you should have no trouble with Cade." The Elder eyed Nora cautiously. 

Nora chuckled nervously, "I'd be wasting his time, sir. It's much quicker-" she was cut off by Elder Maxson.

"Knight, you will go down to the main deck and check in with your Knight-Captain." Elder Maxson said sternly, taking a step towards Nora, "There is more effort here than there should be." he growled, "Once you're finished, directly board the Bird with your companion inside." Elder Maxson turned away and put his hands behind his back.

Nora took a breath as to say something, but exhaled in a sigh. She turned to the stairs and climbed down them. 

"Knight?" Paladin Danse jumped down next to her and confronted her, "What the hell was that back there?" he scolded her, "What is so bad about seeing the Knight-Captain that you would deliberately argue with Elder Maxson?"

Nora turned and pointed at him, taking a deep breath as to yell at him, but sighed again, turning and slowly walking towards the Knight-Captain's room.

Paladin Danse was ready to ask her again more sternly and then realized he had no idea what she went through that whole month. Maybe she wanted to believe she was okay. Maybe she didn't want to be checked on anymore. He quietly followed Nora.

"Knight! What a pleasant surprise! I feared we wouldn't meet again." Cade looked up from his clipboard, "Ready for your check-up?"

"As I'll ever be." A light went off in Nora's head. She had an idea.

"So, what of you was injured?" Cade laid his clipboard down and motioned for Nora to sit on the examination table.

"Here's how it is, doc. A nuke went off and blew my arm off, impaled my leg, and blew my eye out. The doc I was with found my arm. Nothing but an irradiated piece of meat, really." Nora removed her glove and started rolling up her sleeve. "She stitched the thing back on. It's really just leather for skin." She unwrapped the bandages, revealing the yellowed "skin".

Cade ran his thumb over her forearm, grunting at the texture. "Yeah, leather is right. What about your eye? That's more important to me at the moment." Cade squinted into her glasses.

Nora quickly grabbed her glasses, "The doc stitched my eyelid closed to protect my socket from any radiation or dust." she tried not to look like she was purposely closing one eye.

"Huh. Alright, and your leg?" Cade raised his eyebrows slightly in awe as he examined her crude scars.

Nora hiked her pant leg up, "Wrapped up like my arm from rads."

Cade chuckled, "You must have had a great doctor. You shouldn't be alive right now. Your limbs..." he shook his head in disbelief, "they shouldn't be working."

Nora smiled and slipped her glasses back on, "Am I free to go, doc?"

"Not quite. Anything the doctor told you to watch out for?" Cade grabbed his clipboard as Nora put her glove back on.

"Besides my mental state? Nope, nothing." Nora cleared her throat.

"Your mental state? What's wrong with your mental state?" Cade frowned.

"I had quite a fall... Might have scrambled up my noggin." Nora poked her head.

Cade raised an eyebrow, "Right. How about we put the Paladin in charge of that..." Cade pointed at Paladin Danse with his pen and wrote on his clipboard. "You're cleared-if you can tell me you have no pain or abnormalities with your arm or leg?"

"No, sir." Nora shook her head after chuckling at Paladin Danse's reaction to being put in charge of watching her.

"All right, then. Get out of my office. You're holding up the line." Knight-Captain Cade brushed them both out the door.

After Nora and Paladin Danse boarded the Vertibird, Paladin Danse asked Nora a question. "That wasn't so bad now, was it?"

"That used all my charisma and luck, buddy. You have no idea how stressful that was." Nora sighed and steadied herself on the minigun as they took off.

"Why?" Paladin Danse scoffed, "It was as simple as answering a few questions."

"It's-..." Nora stayed silent and looked to the front of the Bird, "complicated..." Nora rested on the minigun.

"I don't understand why." Paladin Danse tried to make eye contact with Nora, but who knows if he did when she wears sunglasses.

"Look... I really would like to explain, but I don't know if you'd understand yet." Nora looked at him, "I'm sorry. Really, I am." Nora offered a remorseful smile.

 

"Get ready to fire, ma'am. We're approaching the target." The Lancer looked back to Nora, "21:00." he repeatedly pointed to his left.

Nora looked out in front of her and saw a very large Supermutant looking monster. It had a shopping cart strapped to its back and carried a fire hydrant. "What the hell?!" Nora started rotating the barrel of the minigun.

"Fire at will!" Paladin Danse screamed at Nora as the Behemoth looked up at them, picking up a boulder. "Lancer, watch for that boulder!"

"I see it, sir!" The bird seemed to increase in speed as the minigun began to throw casings out of the Bird.

The Behemoth shielded its eyes and threw the boulder, missing the Bird. It picked up another boulder, much bigger. Nora kept her fire on the Behemoth as it carelessly threw the boulder. The Behemoth fell to one knee and continued to throw boulders.

Nora looked at the barrel of the minigun. It was red from friction. She released the trigger and waited for the barrel to cool off. "Danse! Do we have a sniper rifle on board?" Nora held on to the minigun as Paladin Danse scanned the roof of the bird. If there was anything, it would be strapped to the roof. His eyes rested on a modded out combat sniper rifle. It had: a long scope, ported barrel, large quick eject magazine, marksman stock, and a compensator. Paladin Danse pointed at it right above Nora's head.

"Hell yes." Nora whispered to herself as the Bird jerked to the left. She snatched it and cocked it. A shell popped out of the barrel and she aimed at the Behemoth's eyes. She fired repeatedly and watched the Behemoth cover its face and drop the next boulder.

Paladin Danse watched Nora closely as she giggled. He realised she was shooting right-handed. Using her right eye to look through the scope. The right eye she isn't supposed to have...

After three more shots from the rifle, the Behemoth threw one last boulder before crashing to the ground. "Incoming!" Paladin Danse yelled up to the Lancer. It was too late. The boulder smacked into the side of the Bird, sending debris at Nora and Danse. 

"Damn it! I'm gonna have to drop you two off and go in for repairs! Get ready for a quick landing!" The Lancer yelled and dropped the Bird.

Nora quickly stowed the rifle and hopped off the Bird into a roll. Supermutants fired at her and Danse as he crashed down next to her. Nora pulled her revolver and pulled the hammer back, running towards the first mutant. He was reloading.

He saw Nora charging at him and tried reloading quicker. "Stupid lady!" He screamed as she ran right up to him. Nora, without thinking, fired her revolver as soon as she approached him. She shot him from under the chin. He gurgled and fell back with a thud. Nora holstered her revolver and grabbed the Supermutant's pipe rifle.

Nora hated pipe weapons. They were crude, scrappy, weapons. They used the most common, less deadly bullets as well. Nora cocked it and fired at the mutant attacking Paladin Danse. As she expected, it did nothing. She scoffed, throwing the rifle to the side. Paladin Danse took out the mutant as she ran over.

"Looking for this?" Paladin Danse threw Righteous Authority to Nora.

"Righteous Authority? You brought her?" Nora caught the gun and examined it. "Danse, that's so sweet." Nora put a hand jokingly to her cheek. A mutant to Nora's left started charging her with a board. She unloaded her whole barrel into him without even looking at him.

Paladin Danse looked at the dead mutant then back at Nora before shaking his head and pointing to a building, "The rest of them are inside that building."

Nora swung her head around and looked at the building. "What about the rest out here?"

"You killed the rest with stray bullets from killing the Behemoth..." Paladin Danse started walking towards the building.

"Makes sense." Nora shrugged and ran off after Danse.

***

"My visual acuity is being reduced to an unacceptable level here." Danse squinted in the darkness of the corridor.

"Your visual-..." Nora slowly turned around, "Why can't you speak Engish? Forget it. I'm gonna shove your visual acuity where the sun don't shine if mutants heard that." Nora turned back around and shook her head. "I can see fine."

"I don't understand how. You're the one with one eye..." Danse whispered and slowly followed behind Nora.

"Let's do the thing where we're quiet now because there's a Supermutant in front of us." Nora stopped and was knocked over by Danse's bulky body.

"What was noise?" the Supermutant turned around as Nora stopped picking herself off the ground. 

Nora didn't move an inch. Paladin Danse held his breath.

"Stupid noise..." The Supermutant looked around the corridor a bit more before turning back around and walking out into the main room.

Nora picked herself up and silently crept up to the opening and peered in. One... Two... four... eight. They were outnumbered.

"Danse... I got bad news and worse news. What do you want to hear first?" Nora pressed her back against the wall and looked at Paladin Danse.

"What's out there?" Danse took a step closer as Nora peered around again.

"Besides eight-" Nora stopped and lifted her sunglasses to see better. "What the hell... Danse, tell me you see this too." Nora put her sunglasses back on and motioned for Danse to come.

Danse peered around the corner and squinted. He saw floating grenades with strings attached to the pins being put on the Supermutants. "If you are seeing explosives being placed on supermutants by an invisible person, then yes. I see it too."

After the last floating grenade was put on a mutant, a long line of string stretched to the far end of the room. Once the string stopped shaking, a figure appeared. It looked like a little girl. She wore a black coat that was much too big for her, black bowler hat, black converse, and black gloves. She had a pair of wide rimmed sunglasses. She yanked the rope and called out to the Supermutants. 

"Oh boys!" She said in a singsong voice, "Intruder." she sarcastically marched around in the corner with her hands out. The mutants began to turn to her but before they could do anything, they blew up. The girl laughed really hard as chunks of flesh were launched in all directions. 

Nora pulled her head into the corridor with blood splattered across her face and a bit of intestine hanging from her hairline. With her eyebrows raised she turned to Paladin Danse, who also had some gut on his face. "You've, uh... Got a little mutant on you..." Nora peeled the piece of flesh off his face.

"You too." Danse wiped the intestine out of her hair.

"Who the hell was that?" Nora sat against the wall and rested her hands on her knees.

"That would be Kitt. Victory Kitt." Danse nodded, reassuring himself. 

"And this name means what to me?" Nora shrugged.

"Nothing. Victory Kitt is nothing but a petty scavver that does trading with almost everyone and everything, everywhere." Danse stood up, "Some of our Scribes want her with us, but she doesn't want to join our ranks." he started walking out of the corridor and headed for the exit.

"She looks like she could be help?" Nora followed Danse, "Given she blew up every Supermutant in this building with eight grenades she rigged to a string..." she pushed the door open again after Danse stepped through.

"Yes but, as I said before, she doesn't want to join us." Paladin Danse threw out a signal grenade. "I'm sure the Elder will want to hear of our success. Let's get out of here."

"Right... Our success." Nora mumbled.


End file.
